An Ultimate's Guide to Combat The world of Eclipse Phase is wrought with danger What comes to your mind when you think and intrigue. The purpose of An Ultimate's Guide to Combat is “Ultimate”? Most of you readers probably conjure up images to provide players with more tactical options, and it provides of some mercenary, fighting on some blasted rock on the additional opportunities for combat, adding in new systems to outer system. Some of you will come up with an image that is give a combat-heavy campaign more variety. much less pleasant. Ultimate ideals are much, much different than that. We are more than simply an order of militants. Another of the focuses of this supplement is to provide players with a resource for a more responsive Ultimates have been associated with mercenaries since combat system, complete with new and expanded rules for the movement's inception, simply because most of us do it at weapon qualities, melee combat, and explosives. An one point or another to make money. I've signed contracts with Ultimate Security, Direct Action, Gorgon, and a half-dozen smaller Ultimate's Guide to Combat includes some theoretical outfits over the course of the last twelve years. I died on New battlefield tech, as well as additional general use military Mumbai (but you should see the other guy), and in two or three theory and tactics to improve battlefield simulation in the places I'm not legally allowed to talk about since then. Eclipse Phase system.

The whole sum of the Ultimate philosophy is self- An Ultimate's Guide to Combat differs from the core improvement, however. Death is a temporary setback on the Eclipse Phase material by creating much more complex and road to perfection. A lot of people fear us because of the fact that rules-heavy environments for combat and other destruction we have a perceived penchant for violence, but that overlooks to take place in, though it occasionally includes other rules our culture and philosophy. that are deemed to be useful or necessary. As a result, long- time Eclipse Phase players may decide to utilize only some of While this book may not do much to dissuade people from their perceptions of the Ultimates, at least it can be the rules available in the book; this is encouraged and considered a sort of love letter to the rest of transhumanity. By recommended, as An Ultimate's Guide to Combat is designed sharing our wisdom, hopefully more people will be able to to be a collection of personal house rules and interpretations survive the next Fall. compiled into a larger codex of rules; some rules may contradict or overlap with rules in the core book, and An — Exemplar Harmony “Harm” Cho Ultimate's Guide to Combat includes many rules that can greatly slow down play.

Remember that the events, techniques, and items portrayed in this book are fantasy; don't try to recreate these things at home!

AUGC is made by Squire Ned, and is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License, and is based on Eclipse Phase by Posthuman Studios (released under the same license). Table of Contents Fall 6 Terrestrial Defense23 An Ultimate's Apologia 8 Microgravity Habitat Defense 24 Surviving Post-Fall Combat 9 Effective Combat Strategies 24 Understanding Your Gear 10 Urban Combat and Entrenchment 24 Countering Drones 25 Firearms and Railguns 10 Seekers and Grenades 10 CBRNN Defense 25 Beam Weapons 11 Chemical 26 Less Lethal Beam Weapons 11 Biological 26 Conventional Beam Weapons 11 Radiation 27 Enhanced Radiation Weapons 11 Ionizing Radiation 27 Spray Weapons 11 Radioactive Materials 27 Entering the Battlefield 12 Nuclear 27 Transhuman Military Units 12 Nanowar 28 Effective Infantry Units 12 Military Police 28 The Fireteam 12 MP Infrastructure 28 Fireteam Configurations 13 The After-Fall Armory 30 The Squad13 Handling Expensive+ Costs 30 Squad Support 13 Weapon Qualities 30 Drones and Pods 14 Positive Weapon Qualities 31 Special Forces 15 Negative Weapon Qualities 32 Mechanized Infantry 15 Variable Rating Weapon Qualities 32 Armored Personnel Carriers 15 Weapon Qualities and Automatic Fire 32 Infantry Mobility Vehicles 16 Damage Bonus 32 Infantry Fighting Vehicles 16 Alternate Caliber 32 Cavalry 16 Alternate Propellant Loads 33 Air Cavalry16 Smartgun Systems 33 Armored Cavalry 16 Kinetic Weapons 33 Armor 16 New Kinetic Weapon Mods 33 Adapting to Space 17 New Kinetic Weapons 34 Battlefield Support 17 More Railguns 36 Artillery 17 New Kinetic Ammunition 36 Air Support 18 Shotguns 36 Air Deployment 18 Shot, Flechette, and Chokes 37 Air Support 18 Shotgun Ammunition Types 37 Killsats 19 Special Shotgun Ammunition 38 Mines and Explosives19 Beam Weapons 38 Battlefield Medicine 20 Conventional Beam Weapons 38 Medics and Combat Life Savers 20 EMP Weapons 38 Care Under Fire 20 Enhanced Radiation Weapons 39 Tactical Field Care 20 Types of Radiation 39 Medical Evacuations 21 Radiation Penetration 39 Field Resleeving 21 Melee Weapons 40 Improvised Warfare 21 Clubs 40 Maintaining Unit Cohesion 21 Seekers 40 Getting Gear 22 Seeker Mods 41 Improvised Armor 22 New Seeker Types 41 Technicals 22 Seeker Ammunition Mods 41 Flying Technicals 23 Spray Weapons 42 Last-Ditch Defense 23 HEP Weapons 42 Throwing Weapons 42 Grappling 60 Exotic Weapons 42 Controlling Grapples 60 Exotic Melee Weapons 42 Grappling With Different Morphs 60 Exotic Ranged Weapons 43 Redirect 60 Archery 43 Combat Maneuvers 60 Arrow and Bolt Types 44 Kinetic Weapons 61 Rajput Weapons 45 Combat Maneuvers and Recoil 61 New Armor 45 Mozambique Drill 61 New Armor Mods 46 El Presidente 61 New Augmentations 46 Dozier Drill 61 Bioware 46 Alternate Morph Creation System 61 Cyberware 46 Morph Types 62 Nanoware 47 Morph Size 62 Robotic Enhancements 48 Durability Packages 62 Military Hardware 48 Synthmorph Armor 62 Survival Gear 48 Aptitude Bonuses 63 Robots and Vehicles 49 Skill Bonuses 63 Augmentation Cost Table 63 Exoskeletons 49 Robots 49 Appendix 65 New Morphs 49 Weapons 65 Biomorphs 49 Augmentations 65 Synthmorphs 50 Rules Changes 65 New Mechanics51 Morph Construction 66 Demolitions 51 Combat Maneuvers 67 Improvised and Military Explosives 51 Tables 68 Types of Explosive 51 Weapon Ranges68 Explosive Grades 51 Weapon Ranges Continued 69 Nanofabrication and Explosives 53 Kinetic Weapons 70 Designing Explosives 53 Firefighting Gear70 Managing Blasts53 Ammunition 70 Shaped Charges and Smartbombs 54 Melee Weapons 70 EMP Weapons 71 Common Explosive Devices 54 Shotguns 71 Saturation Attacks 54 Bows 71 Radiation 55 Kinetic Weapon Maneuvers 71 Radiation in Biomorphs 55 Vehicles: Robots71 Radiation in Synthmorphs 55 Seeker Weapons 72 Attacking Thresholds 56 Grenades and Seekers 72 Extinguishing Fire 56 Kinetic Ammunition 72 Ordinary Combustibles (A) 56 Enhanced Radiation Weapons 72 Flammable Liquid/Gas (B) 57 Spray Weapons 72 Electrical Fire (C) 57 Beam Weapons 73 Metal Fire (D) 57 Arrow and Bolt Types 73 Firefighting Gear 57 Armor 73 Maiming Wounds 57 Smartguns 73 Selecting Limbs 58 Vehicles: Exoskeleton 73 Selecting Augmentations 58 Maiming Wounds (Kinetic) 74 Augmentation Damage And Repair 58 Maiming Wounds (Energy) 74 Repairing Damaged Augmentations 59 Augmentation Damage Reference 74 Replacing Destroyed Augmentations 59 Explosives 75 Explosive Grades 75 Reloading Heavy Weapons 59 Explosive Types 75 Automatic Seekers 59 Explosives 75 Expanded Melee Combat 59 Explosive Grades 75 Explosive Types 75 Exotic Ranged Weapons 76 Common Explosive Devices 75 Targun Ammunition 76 Rajput Weapons75 FallFall

The quiet of vacuum was unsettling, even with the hum face since the injury, and a nanobandage had already been of the ship to cover it up. There was nothing left to hear, it applied to the site. seemed, as the gray marble of Earth got smaller and smaller "I'll be fine. Might be a little hard to see, but I'll make it." through the view screen. The battle for Earth was over, and they were the losers. ***

*** In the following hours, his eye had cleared up as the blood was washed away by tears and sweat. The compound they "Listen up, we've got our orders! We're escorting a had been sent to stood in the center of the leveled city. Across the memory core to a waiting ship. Higher-ups say that the contents street from an abandoned shopping mall, the area had been are mission critical, and if they're left here they'll give the TITANs entirely leveled by artillery, leaving only a squat concrete bunker an edge against us." and fragments of the security barriers around it. "Why don't we just shoot it and make sure it's dead?" "This the place? Sibirskiy? Doesn't look like much." "Because it makes us a lot more valuable. You think "It's Russia, does it ever look like much? Higher ups said they're going to send down an evac for twelve guys in battlesuits to keep the installation out of the reach of the US, so they stuck it when the refugee camp near the 14th is getting hit?" in Novosibirsk." Rackham sat back. He'd always been quiet, but people They turned off the stealth features on their powered getting on his nerve just made him bottle it up more. He couldn't armor, letting the blue and yellow regiment logo display on their explode at his CO, but the whole mission was absurd. Too many suits' shoulders. The bunker had its radio transmitters off, but people had died already; Earth was as good as lost. someone had been watching for them, and the metal doors were "Look alive, we're here!" unsealed with a hiss, before sliding open with a metallic groan.

*** "Here's the module. Take it off-planet."

Fire erupted from one of the nearby buildings as a TITAN "You're going to stay here?" missile landed near its target. "I don't have one of those fancy suits, like you have. [No danger to suit.] Besides, I've got a backup on Mars. I'll stay here to keep things under control, since someone has to do it." A warmachine popped up on the horizon, and Rackham aimed the rocket launcher at it. An incoming shot bounced off the "Your loss." launcher's optics, but Rackham heard the lock-on confirmation Corporal Henkhaus turned to exit the bunker, tucking the and fired the missile. small silver rod into a storage compartment of his armor. Nine of The resulting orchestra of fire and shrapnel shook an them had made it in, now they had to make it out. abandoned bus, sending it onto its side with an earsplitting clash. [Seven minutes to evacuation.] The hydrogen batteries sounded like popcorn as they discharged explosively in bursts of flame. Rackham's left eye went dark as a *** warm tide washed over it. The city was a blur beneath them as they flew, their [Suit penetration.] armors' thrusters screaming from being run at red-line. Anti-air fire exploded in black clouds above them, and every once in a "Clark! Are you okay?" while a missile would detonate in a nearby building. The stealth Rackham reached up to his helmet. A piece of shrapnel functions worked better for slow movement on the ground. had torn through it, ripping off the left side of the suit's helmet and "Grenier's hit! He's going down!" tearing into his forehead. The smart-suit glove had covered his

6 One of the armors tumbled from the air and slammed computer would survive, even if the original was destroyed in the into a park. Rackham saw Henkhaus' armor flicker orange as the impact. gouts of flame erupted from the crash site. Swearing under his *** breath, he went to fly lower, narrowly avoiding a burst of plasma. He was too tired to announce its presence, even as it cut a red "—ake up! Clark! Rackham Clark!" path across the hostile indicator bubble projected into his field of The cold, bright, sanitary surroundings of the VTOL vision. greeted him. He was out of the battlesuit now, laying on a gurney Everyone else saw it too, and the suits scattered, in his smart armor glove. He ached all over, but he was alive. spreading out so that a good shot couldn't take down the whole "The module?" squad. "We got it. Good thing you set up the autopilot on your [Henkhaus is hit.] battlesuit. You were out for a half-hour. If there were anything Rackham dove past a string of railgun shots, firing four better to do, they would have called you a loss." smoke grenades to obscure the crash site and launching a flare "Damn. Any word on what we're doing next?" to divert an incoming missile. The suit's alarms screamed as it neared the ground, but a last minute thrust kept the knees of the "No, we're done. There's no 8th Cavalry any more. No exoskeleton from collapsing in on themselves. European Union. Henkhaus was supposed to have instructions for where we'd go, but he's gone. One of the black-suits took the The smoldering remains of the wreckage contained little data module, but he won't give us grunts the time of day." more than ash. Bits of Henkhaus were still intact, but the plasma had torn straight through his suit and turned most of his body to "We can't go back to Strasbourg, can we?" smoke or rubble. The storage module was still intact, and "Nope. Black-suit said we were on our own." Rackham grabbed it. He took a few steps toward the subway entrance before activating his thrusters again. "Hell of a payment. You got a place to go?"

*** "Had family on Iapetus. Gonna head there, maybe Titan, see if anyone made it out." [Exit at the next station, up the stairs, and continue north two clicks to the waiting launch vessel.] "My daughter's on Mars. Part of the terraforming effort. I think I'll head there." The tunnels were dark blurs, the emergency lighting blocked by corpses and debris as Rackham's suit roared through *** the tunnels. Sweating, he set the autopilot to keep the suit just The ship hummed quietly through the vacuum, traveling below the ceiling of the tunnel. He was sealed in the suit, but he toward Mars at speeds which would have been terrifying, had couldn't help but imagine the smell of death down here, with the there been any points of reference for comparison. Rackham faint after-trace of ionization from energy weapons. stared at one of the "windows", a display linked to an external hull [You have thirty seconds.] camera, watching the old world disappear behind him.

Daylight greeted him, and Rackham ascended, scanning One of the black suits walked over to him, extending a for his Valkyrie. As he crested, he felt the realization of heaviness hand. Rackham took it, and pulled himself up to a stand. as the thrusters spat smoke and belched fire. A barrage of railgun "I don't think you yet realize the greatness of what fire flew past him; only one slug hit, because of his sudden loss of you've done for humanity. I represent a particular group power, but he grimaced as his abdomen began to burn with a interested in keeping everything going. We saw the Fall coming, stinging pain. and we did our best to prevent it. You have recovered some of our The clouds above him began to blur as he fell, the drops greatest research into countermeasures for seed AI." of rain lifting gently off his visor as he went crashing to the "Thanks." ground. In a final act of desperation, he plugged the data module into the suit, beginning the download. The copy on the on-board "Not the talkative type? Doesn't matter. I'm here to offer you a job, because someone has to clean up."

7 lost much, it is just as regrettable that they would turn the An Ultimate's Apologia blame for damages of the Fall on those who were working to If you need a shoe, where do you get it? A shoemaker. protect them from greater horrors. If you need a gun, where do you get it? A gunsmith. If you need I would encourage everyone to dig deeper into our to be led, where do you get it? A leader. philosophy, our creed, and our society. Even if one does not Many have called the ultimates fascist throughout the wish to join us on Xiphos or Aspis, we would encourage years. We are no such thing. We support individual freedoms in everyone to leave behind their follies and weakness. It is for more ways than the hypercorporations or the genetrash of this reason that we have made available our remade morphs, Jupiter. We reject the hedonism of the anarchists not because perfections of the human form, and published guides to we insist on limiting the actions of our members but because philosophy and war. The best way to prevent another Fall is to we have found a greater purpose. It is said that we bow down pursue our own perfection and merit, rather than looking for it to a cult of personality before Manu Bhattacharya, but this is elsewhere. We encourage everyone to grow in their own not correct; he was the first of us, and in many ways his dignity and their own independence, either as a part of our example is a model to us, but we do not worship him as your group or where they are in the mass of transhumanity. demagogues demand worship. We have found a leader not With this, I leave you our defense. While many have because he sought to lead us into slavery and bondage, but decried us as monsters, leaving behind tradition and virtue in because he provides a path to a better future. favor of destructive pursuits, something which rings painfully It is also said that we are brutal and warlike. While it is true in light of our often-checkered past, we have moved on. true that many among us are experts in warfare, and we train The ultimates are not enemies of transhumanity; we are its hard to survive. The events of the Fall showed us our purpose, greatest allies, and our intent is to protect, serve, and rebuild and transhumanity has had to deal with the same issues we that which has been lost. While the ultimates and the larger had. There are many allegations that members of our whole of transhumanity have often been separated by movement acted in ways that were unbecoming during the ideological and philosophical rifts, we are not brinkers who Fall. We assure everyone that there is no malice in our creed or leave transhumanity out of disgust, but rather bold minds ideals, and while our individual members may have gone working to help everyone see a brighter future. astray and actions meant to serve the greater good have —Preface to The Ultimate's Apologia, by Ductus Prokopy come across as brutal, those who look at our actions Webster-Clay objectively must admit that without us hundreds of thousands of souls would have been lost to the ravages of war and atrocity. What others call crimes committed by us are nothing more than the desperate responses to a world gone mad; responses that resulted in the best possible outcome.

The people who foster some of the worst allegations against us are the very people we saved. They register a loss of morph or a loss of dignity as a malicious attack because, in a sane world, that is what they would have been. However, in the world of TITANs and exhumans, transhumanity no longer has the liberty of responding to the world as a non- threatening entity. Our own actions both before and during the Fall, as a whole species, pushed us closer and closer to the brink of extinction. It is only through the valor and discipline of those who were willing to forge themselves into protectors of others that any of us survived the Fall, and while it is regrettable that those who could not save themselves often

8 Found this floating around the mesh, and figured you might be world equivalents, and some third-party variants. With the interested in it. Looks like a mix of Ultimate training pamphlet advent of nanofabrication and divergent arms design and general military technology and tactics overview. I've principles, military hardware increasingly defies conventions. taken the liberty of adding in some annotations. Most of the For the sake of credibility, we have included a brief equipment is beyond the reach of sentinels, but the tactical biography of each of our main contributors and editors. information could be pretty useful for both erasure teams and sentinels in the field, especially if you operate in a wartorn Exemplar Harmony “Harm” Cho was a mercenary with region. If you like it, don't hesitate to toss me some i-rep, and Ultimate Security before the Fall, serving at New Mumbai during maybe I'll dig some more stuff up. This is published under the combat with TITAN forces there. Her knowledge of TITAN tactics Ultimates banner, but most of its contributors are from and equipment is considered to be among the best. Prior to surprisingly diverse backgrounds. Not sure what the motives joining Ultimate Security, she was a member of the Republic of are for publishing it (I don't buy the whole “Ultimates just want China Military Police Special Services Company, and trained to help everyone!” thing) one of its contributors almost with the US Army Rangers. certainly has Overwatch or Ozma ties. — What they don't point out here is that she was removed Better yet, I intercepted an annotated copy of an arms from her position in the ROCMP because she killed three of her catalogue attached to the same message, with some fellow soldiers in a training “accident” when she pulled a pin on comments from each of the authors of the guide discussing one of their grenades and kicked him back toward the others. the feasibility of various pieces of gear. Of course, she's an Ultimate, so you probably expected that.

— Firststrike Rear Admiral (Ret.) Arvid Johannsen formerly served in the Titanian Commonwealth Fleet. In the Fall, he was pivotal Surviving Post-Fall Combat in directing space fleet actions against the TITANs. Now residing This guide is the offspring of Ultimate Security training on Locus, he was part of a fleet deployed to Locus following manuals from before the Fall, coupled with experience that has Planetary Consortium aggression. been added to our expertise both during and after the Fall. Built — This guy was involved with Jörmungandr during the Fall, but for a large audience in mind, there are some simplifications he never joined up with Firewall. He died and was restored and generalizations; this book may still save your life if you are from backup, and wound up in the TCF. He'd always leaned caught in a combat situation, but it is intended to be an more hard anarchist than the Titanians, and left. Rumor has it introduction, not a complete guide, to combat techniques and he's friends with Teilhard Liu, but I can't confirm that. tactics. Rackham Clark served as a commander in the 8th We have attempted, where possible, to provide as European Union cavalry during the Fall. He currently runs New much context and detail as can be afforded to the complexities Terra Security on Mars, which provides counter-terrorism and and vagaries of combat in our after-Fall world. We include security services and has contracts with the Tharsis League sections on traditional, improvised, and unconventional and Martian Rangers. warfare. Naturally, we discuss weapons and tactics that are — Note how unspecific they are about his service during the forbidden by convention and treaties, but we do so only to Fall? He burned an entire team just because they brushed up enable battlefield commanders to make educated decisions to against a Firewall sentinel at a dinner. My fifty cents says he's shield against their use. actually Overwatch or maybe even Ozma, since he operates a Another consideration we have made is with regards security firm near the TQZ with way too much materiel to be to the changing nature of war. As a result, we have avoided just sitting on the borders picking off smugglers. Why they'd referring to specific military hardware by name; on Earth there let him be an editor on something like this is beyond me. were typically no more than a dozen pieces of hardware to fulfill any particular role, usually limited to a handful of American and first-world designs, their Chinese and second-

9 Understanding Your Gear Ammunition storage is a major concern; the average soldier can carry four or five magazines before they begin to In the past three decades, combat gear has changed be encumbered by the additional ammunition that they are more than it had in the past three centuries. Despite this, many carrying. Likewise, novices often reload their firearms very of the fundamental concepts of firearms and energy weapons frequently, even in situations where there may be immediate have been well known for quite some time. contact. This leaves them with many partially depleted Being familiar with your gear will save your life if you magazines and provides openings for hostiles to exploit. It is have to call upon it in stressful situations; intelligence is often impractical to use long extended bursts of fire for knowing that you can shoot off a lock, but wisdom is knowing ammunition management purposes, even though modern that the AP round you fire at an angle at a block of hardened firearms have mitigated most concerns about recoil. metal will ricochet back through your leg. A final note about kinetic weapons is that firing them Firearms and Railguns in microgravity pushes the user away from the direction of the Kinetic weapons are still the mainstay of projectile, even in weapons with very good recoil control. transhumanity's arsenal; they are well-pedigreed and have a Users of these weapons should be aware that rapid full- variety and familiarity that energy weapons just can't match, automatic fire can cause significant shifts in momentum, which require relatively little training to use effectively, and generally can strand an unsuspecting shooter or send them flying away lack complicated electronics. Plus, unlike seekers, someone from cover. who messes up only hurts one teammate, rather than three. Seekers and Grenades Kinetic weapons function by putting a projectile into or Seekers and grenades are large projectiles, but unlike through a target. Contrary to popular opinion, the presence of kinetic weapons seekers and grenades have a focus on a bullet in the body doesn't do much damage at all: it's how that containing a special payload, usually an explosive, rather than bullet gets there that matters. just delivering a hard impact at high velocity.

Faster rounds do more damage, period. Special armor Seekers are typically available only in soft-launch on vehicle scale morphs, robots, or vehicles may negate some configurations, meaning that they can be fired without any of this factor, but both biomorph tissue and synthmorph fear of backblast. Any back-blast weapons that are issued to structure are sensitive to impacts at speed. Higher speed soldiers in the After-Fall period are either relics or very large rounds project much more energy, and in both metal and flesh weapons. Both thrown and launched grenades tend to lack produces additional impact effects that even a larger but any appreciable back-blast. slower projectile is unlikely to produce. Railguns rely on this Seekers, as a general rule, should not be used to fire effect more than traditional firearms. into groups of combatants that include allies for obvious Using kinetic weapons comes intuitively to most reasons. Even if allied soldiers are sufficiently hardened to soldiers, as they are not uncommon and many common XP's survive the blast, being intentionally targeted by friendly and media programs, as well as countless augmented/virtual weapon fire is bad for morale. reality simulations and games include kinetic weapons, but If encountering enemies with seekers, be aware of novice shooters often make mistakes based on inaccurate their potential for indirect fire, as well as their incredible range. depictions of weapons and poor weapon handling. Although Because seekers can redirect in flight in ways that are modern firearms are very robust, there are still limitations to superior to smart ammunition, they are able to function at the amount of abuse that they can take, and they need to be very high effective ranges; even a micromissile can, when fired cleaned properly every few hundred rounds to maintain by a skilled combatant, hit targets over a kilometer away. optimal accuracy and reliability. Railguns require less maintenance, though they may need realignment for optimal In microgravity, seekers are good weapons because accuracy. they tend to have relatively little kick, as they have internal propellant that ignites after leaving the launcher, while

10 launched grenades have similar recoil to a kinetic weapon. Enhanced Radiation Weapons Thrown grenades have the same impulses as pushing off of Enhanced radiation weapons are generally highly something very light, so combatants can usually use them lethal and effective. While proper protection will prevent direct from behind cover. burns, being attacked with ER weapons means almost certain Beam Weapons loss of morph. Beam weapons have their own advantages and ER weapons cause little direct damage, but have disadvantages. The foremost upside of beam weapons is their respectable range, hit through cover, and cause radiation ability to be fielded in microgravity with negligible impulses. poisoning in biomorphs and radiation-responsive Otherwise, beam weapons are so radically different in function malfunctions in drones and synthmorphs. Medichines are that they are almost impossible to categorize as a single ineffective at repairing radiation-related damage due to the group. fact that they will sustain significant loss of functionality as a result. Healing vats and pods may be able to reduce the effects Less Lethal Beam Weapons of acute radiation sickness in biomorphs; typically biomorphs You will almost never see a microwave agonizer or suffering severe ARS die of infection, even with basic biomods. stunner on the battlefield, but you should be prepared for them Damage to synthmorphs is less likely to result in death, but nonetheless. Be aware that EMP weapons can double as should still be repaired in a timely fashion. microwave agonizers in some situations. Most of these are highly effective at penetrating armor. One side effect of ER weapons is potential damage to the ego sleeved in a morph. Since radiation has particularly EMP weapons are also worth noting; their ability to devastating effects on cyberbrains and biomorphs' central disrupt battlefield communications makes them common nervous system, backups retrieved from cortical stacks may secondary weapons or vehicle mounts, and as they double as be corrupted and the ego of anyone sleeved into the target of effective counter-nanowarfare devices, they are prolific in an ER attack may require psychosurgery to restore full post-Fall armories. They do little direct harm to soldiers on the functionality. battlefield, but the chaos they cause can tip the battle in their users' favor. EMP weapons have long ranges compared to ER weapons are very effective against nanoswarms, most beam weapons. but are generally not considered legal for deployment onto a battlefield against transhumans. Laser pulsers also have a flashbang mode, though it typically is less than effective on hardened soldiers. — Illegality hasn't always stopped the Ultimates. They pioneered this technology on Struggle, before it was as fully Conventional Beam Weapons understood as it is today, and brought it back to Earth. It Traditional beam weapons are known to be somewhat wound up being used in the Fall, adding just a little more horror ineffective at long ranges. The furthest beam weapons can to the mixture, though most of the reports about it are buried engage at is 300 meters, making a good kinetic rifle a solid deep. answer to widespread beam weapon deployment. Beam Spray Weapons weapons can be deployed to devastating effect in terms of accuracy, but typically lack full-automatic fire. Spray weapons are limited in range and effectiveness, but they have their own place on the battlefield. Beam weapons are known to have somewhat limited Shard pistols are not uncommon as sidearms, due to their high armor piercing capabilities; only the plasma rifle has armor penetration, though shredders are rarer due to their particularly effective armor piercing capabilities; plasma rifles bulk and weight. can double as a light anti-armor weapon. Particle beam bolters can be a replacement for a standard rifle in some arsenals, but Buzzers are often deployed by combat engineers, as generally are disfavored due to their limited range. deployable nanoswarms are useful for construction and demolitions purposes, though weaponized nanoswarms, while

11 deployed infrequently, are frowned upon. Freezers are used Transhuman Military Units occasionally to construct barricades or bridges. The majority of the audience for our research Torches and flamethrowers, the former being a more consists of amateur tacticians and small mercenar advanced variant of the latter, are also commonly used as combat weapons due to their ability to inflict devastating heat- Effective Infantry Units related damage on both soldiers and materiel, as well as their The best predictor of battlefield success is unit abilities to clear foliage. Setting foes on fire is an additional cohesion. Gear is interchangeable, but operators are not. benefit. Transhuman combat is different from warfare in the 20th century because it is not uncommon for the same combatants Although most codified warfare proscribes it, spray fight the majority of any given war, resleeving to rejoin weapons are not infrequently used with chemical and comrades after they have perished, or simply being well- biological agents; everything from BTX2 to Twitch gets loaded equipped enough to be such a dominant force as to be nigh- up and used when the kiddie gloves come off. Nutcracker is not untouchable on the battlefield. particularly lethal, but has devastating morale effects. Sprayers can be loaded with even more exotic compounds. Units work best if they have close interpersonal relationships throughout. Respect is earned through authentic Entering the Battlefield relationships, and many people grasp this concept and While civilians and security contractors may not have strangle it to death by trying to enforce unit cohesion by forced a lot of say on their gear, any mercenary or soldier worth their fraternization. Officers should have charisma, and as much as salt will carry three things into battle with them: a primary possible soldiers should have bonding opportunities outside weapon, a sidearm, and a utility weapon. combat. Unlike a faulty rifle, you cannot simply swap in a new soldier. Primary weapons typically have an effective The one rule of battle is that you never want to have a engagement range of at least a hundred meters, with accurate single soldier alone in combat. Occasionally snipers or fire possible to three hundred meters, though in clustered commandos may undertake a solo mission, but this only habitats or urban environments a shorter-range weapon like a happens when they do not expect to encounter heavy submachine gun may be more practical for its ability to be combined arms resistance, or when no better option presents deployed in cramped quarters. Kinetic weapons and beam itself. A lack of unit cohesion may mean that soldiers abandon weapons are the most popular primary weapons, with kinetic each other on the battlefield, or, worse, under the heat of weapons leading by far in terms of widespread adoption. pressure, especially when opponents like the TITANs, whose Sidearms are backup weapons first and foremost, but ability to perform sophisticated biological and infosec attacks they sometimes include utility weapons. Shotguns with is well known, are able to cause psychological tensions frangible rounds, for instance, can function as a sidearm, between troops. though by and far the most popular sidearm option is a pistol. The Fireteam Sidearm selection is heavily dependent on the preferences of individuals and institutions; most mercenary outfits prefer In any mercenary group or military worth its salt, heavy pistols, while civilians, police, and security prefer lighter units will be divided into fireteams. In small organizations or pistols with more ammunition capacity. more decentralized organizations, like anarchist strike squads, you see more independent selection of weapons, but the Finally, people tend to bring a utility weapon with fireteam unit is tried and true, and ensures that any group of them. SWAT teams may have flashbangs, military units may soldiers in the field has the firepower they need to survive bring along seekers or rocket launchers, and commandos may most engagements. Fireteams are created for the open have satchel charges or other special gear. Grenades are the battlefield, not counterterrorism or security uses, and have a most common “utility weapon”; HEAP, thermobaric, and focus on sustainability and flexibility, though you may find plasmaburst grenades are devastating against both hard and similar groupings among police and security forces that are soft targets, and are standard issue for combat deployments. built around shorter engagements and close quarters combat.

12 Fireteam Configurations Fireteams tend to be composed of a fireteam leader, Fireteams tend to be between four to six members in one automatic rifleman, one AAR, and then either riflemen or size. It is generally accepted practice to designate a fireteam LAT riflemen. leader who has a mix of forward observer and tactical decision The Squad making roles. Members of the fireteam typically fall into one of Squads are coordinated groups of fireteams. The the following categories: number of fireteams per squad varies, but a squad typically Fireteam Leader: A forward observer and small-scale comes to between ten to sixteen soldiers, with at least two tactical decision maker, fireteam leaders are frequently members of a command group. This command group almost equipped with a rifle and underbarrel seeker/grenade always contains at least a squad leader, who takes on a launcher. A fireteam leader also carries more advanced tactical decision making role and coordinates communications communication and infosec gear than the standard rifleman, with higher command, and a squad medic/robotics repair though they rarely are expected to take any active role in specialist, who tries to keep everyone alive or patched up digital security. through the fight.

Fireteam leaders are typically considered to be Squad Leader: Equipped like the standard fireteam among the most important soldiers on the battlefield, and tend leader, but typically with a larger selection of communication to be veterans or officers, rather than rookie soldiers. and infosec gear, the squad leader's role is to keep multiple fireteams coordinated and position the command element in a Rifleman: Every soldier is trained to be a rifleman, position to allow the best observation with minimal risk. because it serves as a good baseline skill set. Riflemen are typically not issued any special weaponry, with an automatic Squad Medic: The squad medic performs simple rifle, heavy pistol, and two or three grenades being standard combat life saver tasks, but also tends to be better trained issue. The rifleman's job is usually to protect the team leader, with regards to the standard medical tasks required in and should the squad split up they will remain together. battlefield medicine, managing triage and shuttling injured troops off the battlefield through dedicated systems. Automatic Rifleman: Entrusted with a machine gun, automatic riflemen take on support roles, placing suppressive Squad Repair Specialist: The squad repair specialist is fire. They are typically more senior than riflemen, knowing the equivalent of a medic for synthmorphs and drones. optimal positioning and having the skilled ability to use bursts Priorities are given to egos sleeved in synthmorphs, and like of effective fire. medics they tend to triage heavily damaged or functioning units and repair them after the fighting ceases, while treating Assistant Automatic Rifleman: The AAR takes on a lightly damaged but disabled units takes high priority. support role, carrying additional ammunition for the automatic rifleman in addition to his own rifle. Squad Drone Manager: Rather than jamming drones, most squad-based drone managers run simple infosec and Grenadier: Equipped with an underbarrel seeker send tasks for drones to autonomously complete, doubling as launcher (or occasionally an underbarrel grenade launcher), a bodyguard and potential replacement for the squad leader. the grenadier carries a typical rifleman's kit plus spare This position may also fall to the squad repair specialist, in a seekers or grenades, for taking down grouped infantry, soft- pinch. body vehicles, or light combat drones. Squad Support Light Anti-Tank Rifleman: LAT support is often used as an alternative “junior” role in a fireteam. Typically, fireteams do You will occasionally see some elements be deployed not have dedicated anti-tank capabilities, but if they are likely outside of the normal squad hierarchy. Depending on the to encounter armor there will typically be at least one rifleman organization fielding them, they will either be formally attached with an anti-tank weapon (typically a disposable missile to a squad, or be coordinating efforts alongside squads with launcher or plasma rifle) to back the team up if they encounter direction coming directly from higher ups. light armor.

13 Sniper Teams: Sniper teams can be devastating. A Anti-Air Teams: Almost always utilizing seekers like lone sniper can suppress a squad better than an armored the multi-launch man-portable missile systems that found vehicle with an HMG in some situations, because the fear of favor in the years leading up to the Fall, AA teams are designed getting shot is important. For anyone with a cortical stack, a to handle air threats. Like an anti-tank team, they have at least sniper is a minor inconvenience, but being knocked out of one gunner and one assistant, and they are typically fielded combat is still a major concern, and snipers are able to disable with seekers, rather than assault cannons, as air units may commanders, specialists, and other valuable elements with need to be engaged at greater ranges than assault cannons relatively little fear of reprisal and wreak havoc on an opposing permit. force's morale. HMG Team: The HMG is a weapon that provides Sniper teams tend to either operate with a single excellent area denial against infantry and light armored sniper (common for stealthier sniper roles), or a vehicles. Typically, the HMG is a two-man team consisting of a sniper/spotter pair. With modern electronics, spotters tend to machine gunner and an assistant who helps carry part of a take on a more traditional rifleman overwatch role, protecting tripod setup and ammunition for the weapon. the sniper while they do their work and keeping a second eye Engineers: Engineers play a crucial combat role by out for dangers, though there are times when they cooperate, handling detonation or disarming of unexploded munitions, especially among forces that are not equipped with high-end battlefield construction projects like bridges and makeshift smartlinked weapons with cutting edge optics. Snipers may be fortifications, and otherwise making logistical and tactical deployed with anti-materiel rifles, either to fight increasingly shifts to favor their allies. hardened morphs (such as combat synths) or automated drones, or to allow limited anti-vehicle roles. Infosec Specialists: Although most battlefield equipment is hardened against digital interference, combat in Designated Marksman: Not a sniper, the designated areas with functional mesh inrastructure or where wireless marksman is typically equipped with an automatic rifle, but one equipment is deployed is crucial, and infosec specialists are a with better optics (or electronics) so that it is prepared to part of many military forces, handling jamming, information make medium to long range shots outside normal combat suppression, and communications for their forces. engagement ranges. These tend to be selected from riflemen who are good shots, and they maneuver freely to select Remote Operators: These soldiers often fight vantages that provide good overviews of the battle, remotely, but handle drone operations. It's not uncommon to functioning as scouts as well as removing threats before they have someone jamming into a light aerial vehicle or ground- reach the other squad members. based drone to supply supporting fire or drop supplies off to troops, though larger vehicles tend to be piloted locally to Forward Operations Coordinators: These guys eliminate the risk of digital intrusion. communicate with artillery and CAS elements to call in support on target and help leverage the superior firepower available to Battlesuits: Soldiers in battlesuits and other other their faction. They are, understandably, somewhat rare among combat exoskeletons are capable of fielding heavier weapons some of the less-well equipped mercenary and military forces, and moving more quickly than their counterparts. Although not though they can be a lifesaver in a pinch. a substitute for armor, battlesuits have often replaced dedicated anti-tank or anti-air units on battlefields both before Anti-Tank Teams: While fireteams may deploy light and after the Fall. anti-tank capabilities, anti-tank teams take the fight to tanks, rather than vice versa. An anti-tank team includes at least one anti-tank gunner, typically with a very heavy anti-tank weapon like a multi-launch rocket launcher or an assault cannon, and at least one assistant anti-tank gunner who watches for threats to the team and carries additional missiles or rounds for the gunner.

14 Drones and Pods explosives, or in some cases even antimatter grenades for Both autonomous and jammed drones and pods are use against targets: nanoswarms are favored for their ability valuable tools on the battlefield; they require less training than to cause destruction silently with less risk of detection, but soldiers, are not susceptible to morale, and allow commanders both conventional and high-tech explosives deliver very fast to keep their best operators out of harm's way while still and very potent destructive yields. providing for defensive and offensive operations' manpower Special forces are also used as forward operations needs. coordinators. In this role they find vantage points to confirm Drones and pods are less common than they were that artillery, killsat, or air support is coming in on target and pre-Fall; the resources used for them are more frequently having the desired effect, as well as designate targets using a moved to habitat or morph construction. AI combatants, smartlink, laser designator, or similar piece of gear. however, are capable of carrying out suicide missions and Special forces are deployed with some of the most other risky endeavors than transhumans are. If you are elite infosec teams available in any military. The advent of deploying soldiers in pods, it is important to remember to automated defenses and surveillance means that almost any provide them with the appropriate backup and support you special forces operator is at risk for detection by any number would give to any soldier, but AI-controlled or jammed pods are of automated alarm systems, drones, or augmented hostile great expendable units. combatants. Special forces operators deploy some of the best One upside of drones and pods is the relatively cheap camouflage and signals jamming techniques, including using nature of these units; a drone costs a fraction of what a cutting-edge technology to shield themselves from broad synthmorph costs, and a pod costs a fraction of what a electromagnetic frequency detection. Invisibility cloaks or biomorph costs. When combined, they can be fielded in great equivalent augmentations are effectively standard issue for numbers and diverse designs to achieve almost any battlefield special forces teams. objective. They also provide a strength-in-numbers morale Mechanized Infantry boost when used to reinforce transhuman elements. While infantry remain the backbone of militaries even Remember, however, that drones and pods are after the Fall, there is still a need to deploy them into potentially susceptible to subversion, especially by technologically hostile environments and transport them quickly. Most advanced foes like the TITANs. As such, they are less common infantry units are actually mechanized infantry, who use among specialized anti-TITAN or covert operations forces than infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), armored personnel carriers they are among mixed force units. (APCs), or other light armored vehicles to provide cover and Special Forces additional firepower as well as insert soldiers onto the battlefield. Battlesuits are somewhat less common among Infiltration forces, scouts not attached to squads, and mechanized infantry than they are among cavalry divisions, the like fall under the auspices of special forces. Special forces but they are not particularly rare in mechanized infantry units. operators are expected to be able to function both as forward operations coordinators and complete covert mission tasks. Armored Personnel Carriers Lacking heavy weapons, they use silenced weapons with Armored personnel carriers tend to be used to carry subsonic ammunition and flash suppressors as a standard kit, troops in to and out of battle. Most have treads or wheels, and gather intelligence or complete sensitive missions. They though APCs with walker or hover locomotion have become tend to be among the elite soldiers of any given force, and more popular in recent years. have great operational flexibility, but their primary objective APCs are distinguished from IFVs by carrying only light lies in completing their mission, not neutralizing enemy forces. weapons; they will typically have anti-infantry capabilities, but One common use for special forces is sabotage. In only the lightest of anti-armor capabilities are mounted on these cases special forces operators are typically equipped APCs, if even. with disassembler or saboteur nanoswarms, given high-yield

15 As with most materiel, APCs are built to be Cavalry pressurized and amphibious, and can have a broad range of Cavalry differ from mechanized infantry in that they armor. APCs tend to be well-enough armored to shrug off any are units made up primarily of armored units; these often weapons less powerful than an assault cannon or plasma rifle. include light armored vehicles equivalent to IMVs but can Infantry Mobility Vehicles include heavier armor and VTOL air capacities. Infantry mobility vehicles (IMVs) are lighter and faster The role of cavalry units is to be a rapid strike force; variants of APCs. Typically built for mine resistance, they are while infantry make up the backbone of an army, the cavalry usually wheeled (though hover variants may exist), are lightly are its arms, moving quickly to assault positions and armed if armed at all—some variants have firing ports—and accomplish strategic goals. These include redirecting enemy focus on having greater speed and scouting capabilities. These assaults, pursuing feeling enemy units, and still incorporate vehicles are also used on patrols, especially variants equipped infantry, though to a lesser degree than infantry and with better sensor packages, and are unlikely to see active mechanized infantry units, as infantry serve as support for battlefield use except in transport roles where they will not be armor, rather than the other way around. Cavalry units placed in engagements with enemy forces. Almost all IMVs are frequently utilize battlesuits and exoskeleton-equipped capable of resisting small arms fire and light explosives; they infantry. They are not a match for armored divisions, however. are particularly good at shielding transported troops from Air Cavalry explosions. Air cavalry units are designed for very rapid Infantry Fighting Vehicles response. Due to the limited durability of aircraft, they tend to Infantry fighting vehicles are used to supplement harass rather than directly engage enemy forces, though they troops. Almost always heavily armored, often to near the can inflict devastating damage with strikes against same levels as main battle tanks, treads, wheels, and walkers unprepared enemies or when attacking targets that lack are the dominant locomotion systems for these massive strong dedicated anti-air weapons. Air cavalry typically include machines. An IFV is defined as any vehicle equipped with anti- VTOLs backed up by anti-tank infantry, with a focus on the use armor capabilities designed to assist and transport infantry on of VTOLs rather than infantry for direct engagements. the battlefield, and unlike an APC or IMV, they typically remain Armored Cavalry with the troops that they deploy at all times. Expect any IFV to have an autocannon for engaging air or ground targets, and Although the need for speed inherent in cavalry units perhaps also a machine gun turret and/or missile launcher distinguishes them from armor divisions, armored cavalry field package. impressive firepower, often including combined arms forces of tanks and infantry. More powerful than air cavalry, and able to One advantage of the IFV in some environments is its engage in sustained combat in a way that the limited payloads ability to provide cover to infantry, especially where there is a and durability of aircraft preclude, armored cavalry still usually known source of enemy fire. This rolling cover can protect not include VTOL elements, albeit in a diminished capacity. only the IFV's passengers, but also friendly infantry outside the IFV, from enemy fire. When sweeping urban areas, it is not Armor uncommon for infantry to circle an IFV in box or circle Tanks rarely are deployed individually, instead being formations, allowing them to maintain the autonomy of deployed most frequently in armor divisions with at least three individual soldiers but also be covered from attacks originating and no more than eight tanks (multiple armor divisions may be on the other side of the IFV. coordinated in large offensives). Armor divisions rarely include IFVs also function in similar roles to APCs, and are synthmorphs; even the mighty Fenrir falls short of the payload used to deploy troops quickly onto the battlefield or pull them carrying capability demanded of tanks and their ilk. out of areas where artillery or air support have made positions Tanks are noisy, easily detected, and relatively slow indefensible. compared to most battlefield units, and are vulnerable to air attacks, so most tank divisions include dedicated SAM support,

16 usually in the form of dedicated self-propelled anti-aircraft majority of battlefield armor is still designed with terrestrial vehicles. combat in mind.

Tanks are vulnerable to mobility kills, despite being Infantry deployed in microgravity tend to utilize heavily armored. Most tanks are treaded, due to their different weapons than soldiers on a traditional battlefield. immense weight, though hover-equipped tanks may be used Short-range weapons or seekers dominate the battlefield; in low gravity environments. Damage to treads or lift skirts can rifles are usually replaced by carbines and sub-machine guns result in a mobility kill, which leaves the tank stationary and with decreased weight and more flexible firing positions, and vulnerable to artillery and heavy weapons. If used in defensive sidearms are used in an offensive role instead of being fighting, tanks are often deployed in entrenched positions, weapons of last resort. Seekers, when used, are typically allowing them to bring large guns to bear. Tanks are used for restricted to weapon types that minimize habitat damage, direct fire roles, though some have additional weapons and such as plasmaburst rounds. indirect fire capacity: most tanks include secondary guns like One potential hazard for soldiers floating in machine guns and, increasingly, seeker launchers. microgravity is the potential for kinetic weapons to produce a Another weakness of tanks is their slow speed. spin during discharge. This can be counteracted with careful Fusion-powered tanks are able to be armored fairly heavily, positioning, which ensures that the force dissipates into the but air intakes or exhausts and troop hatches mean that a center of mass, minimizing inaccuracy. lucky shot with even a light incendiary weapon can cause Most infantry fighting in habitats have access to harm to the crew or to the tank itself, making them vulnerable environmentally sealed gear, both due to the high efficacy of if left alone in circumstances where infantry can launch chemical weapons in confined spaces and due to the risk of sustained assaults. Tanks are rarely brought into large urban hull breach. While explosive decompression can incapacitate cities with tall structures; while they can help greatly with soldiers or strand them outside of the combat area, soldiers clearing structures due to their massive cannons, they are equipped with magnetic boots and backup oxygen supplies also vulnerable to harassment from above. can continue fighting regardless of the habitat's current Armored forces usually include IFVs and self propelled condition. artillery to reinforce the relatively slow tanks; these units can Small and human-sized drones are favored for station attack enemies outside tanks' direct fire ranges, but are not defense, as they can be hardened well beyond standard typically capable of engaging directly with enemies. Tankettes morphs and deployed against enemy infantry with few and super-heavy tanks have seen a resurgence in the years concerns about habitat navigation. Some of these drones, like around the Fall, due to their unique combat capabilities, and reapers, have become popular combat synthmorphs. may also be deployed in armored units. Battlefield Support Adapting to Space Most of the military victories on battlefields in the past Many traditional battlefield roles are obsolete in two centuries have come down not only to ground forces microgravity and when a habitat's pressurized air is the only superiority but also the presence of strong battlefield support available source of oxygen for the nearest thousand miles. elements, such as artillery, air support, and killsats. Units operating in space have to deal with tighter quarters and the potential damage of hull breaches, as well as the difficulty Artillery of transporting materiel between locations. Artillery can be built around seekers or indirect fire Conflicts centered around stations tend to look more weapons. As a general rule, artillery is not used for direct fire, like skirmishes than battles even at their most heated; except in some rare occasions where it is deployed in armored vehicles are not capable of functioning usefully in microgravity. most of these confines, even if there is gravity; although some Artillery is deployed from outside the battlefield; most modern armored vehicles operate just fine in microgravity the artillery rounds take between five and thirty seconds to reach

17 their target. Guided artillery can guarantee hits within five However, gliders and parachutes deployed in low meters of the designated target, though more accurate gravity environments may be able to bring along armor that impacts are common. was inconceivable with Earth's gravity; of course, the parallel concern is that troops and armor trying to parachute or glide Kinetic artillery, deployed to indirect firing solutions, in thin atmospheres may not be able to reach acceptable delivers a variety of rounds, including armor-penetrating, high landing speeds before landing, resulting in damage to materiel explosive, and canister rounds that can contain nanoswarms, and injuries or death of soldiers. gas, corrosives, or submunitions. Used primarily in environments with gravity, kinetic artillery typically employs Air assaults carried out with vertical takeoff and traditional shells and propellant, though some rail-accelerated landing capable aircraft (VTOLs) are more common in most artillery pieces exist. Kinetic artillery has limited ability to adjust places. Multiple infantry units can be attended to by a single impact locations, but shells are cheaper than seekers. VTOL, which may be assigned to transport roles for the duration of a battlefield encounter or be retasked to air Seeker artillery fires missiles or rockets across great support roles after deploying infantry and armor. distances. Guided seeker artillery can be pin-point accurate, and may even be able to be called in against rapidly moving In low gravity, and with the power of a fusion reactor, forces. Seeker artillery can include any standard seeker VTOLs have become capable vehicles for armored insertions, package, and it is not uncommon for submunitions to be added and it is not uncommon to see armed forces deploy all-in-one to seeker rounds, such as having multiple anti-tank missiles VTOLs for anti-air, anti-armor, and transport roles. deployed against separate targets by a parent round which is Drop pods have been used for some one-time directed at another target. insertions, particularly in reclaimer attempts to recapture Air Support Earth and in other such orbital assaults, though they have Air support comes in multiple forms and is used in a seen use against habitats in microgravity as well. Often made variety of circumstances. We'll be examining both aerial of radar absorbent material and with invisibility sheaths, drop deployment techniques as well as direct and indirect fire from pods are able to insert troops stealthily and with greater air support forces that may be frequently found on speeds than with parachutes, with the added bonus of transhuman battlefields. deploying fireteams and squads in the same location. However, drop pods do not permit exfiltration. Air Deployment Air Support In low gravity and with high powered VTOLs and planes, air deployment has become increasingly popular for all Air support is often used for direct and indirect sorts of ground forces. Deployment from the air is done in two munitions delivery. Aircraft can move at speeds that make it ways; either airborne forces carried in by parachute or glider, difficult to effectively retaliate against them, and can carry the typically launched from a plane or low-altitude spacecraft, or same weapons that one would expect to see on an IFV, plus via VTOL insertion. Landing aircraft not equipped for VTOL bombs and missiles (large guns tend to be unpopular, though capabilities is not unheard of, but generally tends to be met not impossible to find, on aircraft). VTOL and hover capable with mixed results at best, as fixed-wing aircraft may be aircraft can provide sustained fire support, while fast movers incapable of taking off in battlefield conditions. such as jets can provide single attack runs. Air support is sometimes relegated to autonomous or jammed drones, Airborne force deployment is tricky because it leaves which can be highly effective. few avenues for escape. Although it can insert troops well behind enemy defensive positions, something which is of nigh Single-strike gun runs are common from aircraft, as indispensable value, and you can deploy troops far from they keep the aircraft in motion and provide enough firepower enemies' ability to retaliate, troops tend to be relatively to at the very least deter most forces. Bombing or missile vulnerable during deployment. runs, with heavier munitions deployed, are used when IFVs or tanks threaten infantry units, or when the destruction of armor is of immediate strategic importance. VTOLs can provide

18 sustained fire from hover, which has the upside of infantry area. Both insurgents and organized military groups have suppression and high armor kill rates; a good pilot can remain been known to deploy improvised explosive devices, military sufficiently mobile to avoid most incoming fire, while still grade explosives, mines, and smartbombs against hostile staying stationary enough to provide predictable support for forces. ground forces. Mines are typically still the same old dumb systems Air support is frequently delivered with the support of used since long before the fall, though active scanning and a forward operations controller, though on rare occasions detection is a feature on some mines. Antipersonnel mines pilots may be responsible for selecting and engaging targets typically pack the same firepower as a grenade, though more of their own accord. This is typically rare, as munitions violent versions exist for the purposes of taking out a fireteam effectiveness falls dramatically when pilots are responsible for or squad. Antitank mines are heavy, equivalent to a missile or finding and lining up targets without external assistance, larger. Most mines are pressure sensitive, though magnetic especially with single pilot aircraft or aircraft without a mines are used for antitank mines. dedicated gunner role. Scattered mines are visible; they require removal but Killsats a cautious force can avoid or remove them with little risk. Killsat support is exceedingly rare, and has its own Tripwires can also be used to trigger mines, and are less downsides. “Killsat” is a popular term that worked its way into visible than scattered mines. These may also trigger other military jargon to refer to any direct weapons support from traps, such as a grenade drop, missile launcher, or mortar. spacecraft or satellites against ground targets. Entrenched mines are stealthier, and can be detected more readily. Many mines can be detonated manually, though they When dealing with killsat munitions, some things are only listen for signals so that they cannot be detected via radio important to remember. Killsats are expensive, are typically signal interception. Mines can be deployed manually by slaved to strategic interests, and are as such somewhat rare. engineers, or via artillery or bomb delivered mine dispersal Few killsats are made with the capacity for precision systems. destruction; kinetic killsats can strike with similar yields to nuclear and antimatter weapons, while energy weapon based Mines can be used defensively to prevent enemies killsats can saturate a city block with enough energy to melt from flanking a force, or to channel them into ambushes. They rock. can also be used offensively, to harass enemy forces and delay retreats. Disarming mines is a tedious process. Mines Killsats are limited in effectiveness by their distance can be detected and marked, though the methods for doing so from the battlefield; you will rarely find a killsat so distant as to are subject to change: metal detectors rarely work against the have more than a second worth of lag in communications; composites used in mines, so it is necessary to use other sometimes battleships with guns to spare may provide methods to detect and flag mines. It is generally not battlefield support. If satellites are not in geosynchronous recommended to move through a flagged minefield, even if orbit, there may be a limited engagement window in which there is relative certainty of accuracy, and removal by rollers their weapons can be deployed; multiple killsats on the same or explosives remains one of the best ways to remove orbit naturally increase the number of engagement windows, minefields. Mines deployed underground have proved resilient and it doesn't take that many satellites to achieve constant against nanoswarm disabling techniques. firing solutions on most bodies in our solar system. Rounds fired from a killsat typically take between five to six minutes to Improvised explosive devices are used by guerillas arrive, though particles or beams arrive quickly enough for and occasionally regular military forces to damage and the delay to be negligible. destroy materiel, kill soldiers, and damage morale. Many of these devices are haphazard, not intended to be disarmed Mines and Explosives once primed, and require removal by engineers or other Dealing with mines and explosives is a major concern specialists. Disassembler nanoswarms are often used for this for most forces deployed for ground operations in a given purpose. The manufacture and style of IEDs varies depending

19 on the user and the intended target, but they are often least one or two human medics in a unit in case the AI are disguised as rubbish or camouflaged to avoid detection. compromised. In addition, muses or skillsofts may be used to replace medical training, though this is frowned upon by many Military explosives are usually deployed against commanders as being less effective than conventionally strategic targets such as bridges, roads, and other important trained soldiers. infrastructure that might fall into enemy hands. While these are typically not intended primarily to cause damage to enemy Care Under Fire forces, instead denying them precious resources or means of Care under fire is the most dangerous sort of transportation, troops and materiel in range of the blast will battlefield medicine, but is also the most important for saving likely be killed or injured. the lives of casualties. Care under fire typically consists of Finally, smartbombs provide a new and emergent checking for and preventing bleeding using traditional threat. Built with semi-autonomous AI, they are capable of bandages or nanobandages, tourniquets, and the like. identifying targets and detonating. Deployed in structures as Synthmorphs typically do not require care under fire, as their traps, they can be difficult to detect. Fortunately, their payloads treatment can wait for later. tend to be limited, but large smartbombs can detonate when When under fire, there are a few concerns that should criteria are met or unmet. Most other types of explosives can be taken into account. The medic should remember that they be combined with a smartbomb system, creating mines that are in the crossfire (if not explicitly targeted) while providing will only detonate after a certain date or an IED that looks for care under fire; resuscitation should wait for tactical field care, uniform elements that identify certain ranks. Smartbombs are rather than being performed in the line of fire. Smoke, AR mesh-enabled, though they are usually hidden from view or disruption, tactical shields, and suppressive fire are important. running passively unless they are actively requesting programming. If casualties are still mobile, they should be instructed to return to cover and receive treatment there. Casualties that Battlefield Medicine are incapacitated and immobilized, either by being knocked Casualties are a natural consequence of warfare. unconscious or by wounds that prevent movement, should be Even the most elite units experience attrition or combat removed. Biomorph casualties with neck or spine injuries, or related casualties during deployments, and it is necessary for suspected neck or spine injuries, should not be moved unless soldiers to understand the proper means of treating injured they are likely to be killed where they are. soldiers on the battlefield. Biomorphs and synthmorphs are Once hostile engagement ceases, proceed to tactical both treated with the same battlefield medicine protocols, field care or medical evacuation. though synthmorphs are obviously given adjusted treatments due to the different concerns in repairing damage versus Tactical Field Care treating wounds. Most units do not provide care for AI-driven Field care is the next step of combat medicine. Once pods, synthmorphs, and drones, though when resources the fire in an area has died down, you want to make sure that permit they will be recovered. casualties will survive their wounds. Check for breathing, Medics and Combat Life Savers providing CPR and other assistance as possible and necessary. CPR should only be performed in sealed Medics have a clearly defined battlefield role as environment tents when fighting takes place in vacuum or providers of medical care. Combat life savers, on the other near-vacuum. Seriously injured casualties who have ceased to hand, are typically riflemen or other operators whose primary breathe should be low priority; they will typically require more goal is to assist their squad or fireteam. CLS have medical medical care than is feasible in a battlefield environment. training, however, and are capable of assisting medics or functioning as a replacement where necessary. Any soldier should be checked for consciousness, bleeding, breathing, fractures, burns, and administered a In some units, the roles of medics and combat life cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics at this point. Anti-nanite savers fall to AI-driven drones or pods; typically there will be at and anti-viral measures may also be prudent, as are anti-

20 histamines and steroids in exoplanet environments with Field Resleeving anaphylactic agents. At this point medical evacuation begins. Military morphs are purchased in bulk and soldiers Pods and synthmorphs have lower priority during are resleeved into identical morphs when possible to minimize tactical field care than biomorphs. Pods' cybernetic resleeving difficulties, but it is still recommended that soldiers components mean that their operators tend to be less likely to receive a week's sabbatical between deaths. While it is suffer death from bleeding out, while synthmorphs are possible for many soldiers to be deployed much quicker—the immune to the damage of prolonged bleeding wounds and reseleeving process itself typically takes no longer than two rarely need urgent care, even if rendered inoperable by hours with a proper battlefield logistics setup—psychological battlefield damage. difficulties may result. Voluntary psychosurgery can mitigate some of these consequences, when it is available. Although modern biomorphs do not enter shock states, flats and some early-model biomorphs may go into Improvised Warfare shock, which requires special medical care. Hypovolemic shock can still occur when biomorphs experience heavy bleeding, While mercenaries and soldiers have access to which can be treated by providing intravenous fluids. central organization structures most of the time, several mercenary units operating during and after the Fall have Medical Evacuations inspired the creation of an organized guide to improvised warfare. This is distinct from guerilla warfare, as it focuses on Medical evacuation of soldiers happens in two forms: the use of available resources in a habitat to respond in kind to live evacuation and stack evacuation. Live evacuation involves armed aggression. Several of our editors have seen combat retreating living biomorphs and pods to dedicated surgical against exhuman or TITAN forces in which local assets have centers or healing vats, and returning synthmorphs to repair been critical to accomplish standard battlefield objectives, centers. Casualty evacuation varies depending on available particularly delaying actions. equipment and personnel. Where medics are available to ride along en route, or where nanobandages or other With that in mind, we will of course mention and nanotechnology is available to stabilize critically injured discuss insurgent tactics, as much mercenary combat takes soldiers, field medics often stay with their unit. Otherwise, field place between massively disproportionate forces. medics or combat life savers may follow along with medical evacuation transports, then return to the field. Maintaining Unit Cohesion

Medical evacuation may also be performed as stack Just because you lack the resources and backing of evacuation. This can be misleading; nanocoffins and other larger combatant forces, it is important to remember that unit drones can carry heads or stacks, and a soldier's recovered cohesion is still a key factor in military success. head in a healing vat can be used to rebuild a morph cheaply Where possible, improvised fighters use uniforms. from feedstock without the trauma of resleeving, though any This adds legitimacy and places them closer to the label of augmentations must be replaced. legitimate soldiers than as insurgents—it is easier to achieve Stack evacuation is somewhat traumatic for rookie public backing if you fight a conventional war than it is if you soldiers to participate in or experience, and has a tendency to are viewed as terrorists. In addition, having uniforms provides be stressful for all soldiers when repeated over a long period a symbol for morale purposes, and makes it easier to of time. Some units are more likely than others to participate in determine who you should and should not take shots at when stack evacuations. Ultimates, in particular, are known for stack it's dark and hard to see. evacuations, even using them on civilian populations during It is also important to remember that improvised the Fall (with some controversy), and many of the less warfare uniforms tend to be more minimalist; they may bioconservative hypercorp and mercenary units favor it as a consist of borrowed equipment with new insignia, or even cost effective way to minimize the hassles of casualty armbands or color coding—the latter can hurt camouflage, but logistics. is good at preventing friendly fire incidents, which happen

21 more frequently with volunteers and rookie mercenaries than maintain weapons (many weapons include these in an internal they do with battle-hardened soldiers. While many military compartment, especially military-grade weapons), plus units use AR identification, civilian hardware is more easily ammunition and magazines that fit. Energy weapons are less compromised and should not be used for this purpose except picky, but have their own limitations (range, usually) and are as a last result. even more of a pain to maintain than kinetic weapons.

The final step is to set up a command and control Finally, you need to make sure that you are familiar post; even if you're a card-carrying Autonomist Alliance with the weapons you have taken. Troops using gear they member with a distaste for hierarchy, you still need to select don't know how to use perform much more poorly, so expect someone to figure out what's going on and communicate that to have to train troops. If you have an AR or VR training to other people. program, that's great, but you might have to resort to the old school firing range method, which means running through Getting Gear ammunition, and finding a place to train that you won't get Welcome to the hard part of fighting war with caught as well as finding enough ammunition to have training improvised materials. Most fabbers are built with arms as well as battle supplies. restrictions; even more common civilian weapons cannot be Improvised Armor built without an override, which means that you probably need some infosec capacity (not to mention blueprints), or you As a general rule, vehicles and morphs should be need to seek out arms in other ways. armored as much as is possible without significantly slowing them down or limiting their functions. Against modern The easiest way to get weapons during a conflict is to weaponry, some armoring efforts may be futile, but take them from someone. Typically, during the course of improvised vehicle armor is a good idea at the very least. improvised warfare you won't have too many options to trade with outsiders, though you might be able to convince an Exact fabrication techniques vary, but remember that aligned faction or pay someone to drop a crate from a safe any soft skin vehicle brought into combat is likely vulnerable to distance, which doesn't necessarily mean you even get the fire from any rifle on the battlefield, and even a pistol can goods. This means that weapons come from pre-existing penetrate standard glass windows. Spacecraft or space armories, either ones that are indigenous to where you are capable aircraft are usually armored about as well as is fighting (for instance, old hypercorp stashes or a civil defense possible without access to military fabricators, but groundcraft bunker's storage), or taken from fallen enemy combatants or can be reinforced with scrap metal and fullerenes with captured enemy supply depots. relatively little trouble. Mining equipment is often armored well enough to serve as improvised armor, and fabricating mining Using field-salvaged weapons has its own concerns. armor packages is possible on many fabbers that would forbid First, you need to make sure that any electronics packages the manufacture of weapons. are not phoning home and giving away your position. EMP works well for this, but having someone hack into the gun and Another concern is the safety of passengers in a change its settings works best. Any weapon manufactured for cabin. Since vehicles were first introduced to the battlefield decades before the Fall probably has some sort of remote users have been putting sandbags into the floors of vehicles tracker included, and any modern weapon not printed out by to protect passengers against mines. That technique remains an anarchist or criminal will have trackers, even if they're not effective to this day; anything that will go through a few inches normally connected to anything. of sandbag and cause serious harm would probably have taken you out pretty handily anyway, and things that can kill a Second, you need to manage ammunition and vehicle won't necessarily penetrate sandbags. It's a cheap and maintenance logistics. Magazine feeds and even the rounds effective technique that saves lives. that go into guns are often not interchangeable, and while it is possible to use nanosystems to repair and clean most Technicals firearms the availability of high tech solutions should not be Technicals are modified soft-body vehicles that have assumed on. You will need tools and supplies to clean and guns mounted to them. Typically, this is either a machine gun

22 or a heavy machine gun, but assault cannons and larger confrontation with enemy elements. This typically comes in weapons can be fielded in this manner. Technicals fill a two forms: delaying until reinforcements arrive, and denying different role than traditional armor, being used for resources to opposition forces. harassment and hit-and-run tactics. The main rule of using One crucial element of any defense against a superior technicals is to be sure that you have a battlefield that is force is to limit the enemy's access to nanofabrication facilities. conducive to them staying out of harm's way; aircraft or true Where a fabber cannot be retreated or disabled, it should be armor can pick them off like flies, even if you have improvised destroyed. Fabber stock should be destroyed, rather than armor attached. abandoned, as should raw chemical components for life Back on Earth, technicals served as a status symbol support systems, unless doing so compromises allied forces for warlords, and while they're not particularly popular after as well. At the same time, care should be given to ensure that the Fall due to the lack of environments in which they can be allied forces carry all necessary supplies, including NBCN gear, effectively fielded they have been reported to be in use by with them. some Barsoomian militant groups, and they serve as both Terrestrial Defense transportation and fire support for some of the poorer mercenary units and criminal syndicates. Terrestrial defense focuses on delaying actions and other techniques to restrict access to transportation and Flying Technicals reinforcement, cutting off enemy supply lines, and denying We finally have our flying cars, and with them we have resources. flight-capable technicals. They're more expensive, and have The first step in terrestrial defense against a greater the downside of turning themselves into broad targets, but force is to achieve mitigation of enemy force multipliers. rocket buggies have been adapted into flying technicals and Destroying bridges in a moderately high-gravity environment used in conflicts on Mars and elsewhere. like Earth, Mars, or Mercury can be effective as a means of Field tests by Barsoomian-aligned raiders seem to preventing enemy forces from moving freely across rough indicate that soft skinned flying vehicles intended for civilian terrain. Likewise, rail infrastructure should be targeted for use have too many safeguards to be used in combat destruction to prevent enemy troop movements from situations, where hostile infosec can cripple their computers leveraging these resources. Generally, airborne units are more and activate emergency braking systems, leaving them common after the Fall than in any other point in human history, vulnerable. Later variants, which were operated with so this has limited effectiveness. communications blackouts and hardened security systems However, retreating to secured and fortified spaces is were still highly vulnerable to seekers. still a good solution. Many terrestrial habitats are built into Overall consensus from battlefield strategists is that mountains or into the ground, which provides great defense these vehicles are not fit for use in these roles, and numerous against enemy artillery and small arms. Forcing enemy units reports have surfaced of these vehicles being taken down by into choke-points limits some of the benefits of having a unsupported fireteams with nothing more than a single numerically superior force, and forces enemies to assault a plasma rifle shot or a lucky seeker hit. Lacking the full static position. This should be combined with electronic capacities of a combat VTOL or fast mover, it is strongly warfare to prevent enemy seekers from striking friendly recommended that flying technicals not be employed for positions. battlefield use, though weaponized personal jets have seen One focus of defensive operations should be to limited success with strafing runs. ensure that valuable stores and personnel are kept away from Last-Ditch Defense enemies and in common, easily defended places. Fabber stock, medical supplies, and civilians should be kept in safe places When you are defending against a superior force, the away from the front lines. best goal is typically to lay out clear objectives that can be accomplished to maximize your victories without direct

23 Finally, it is important to make sure that your generally regarded as being the best, but there are times you communications can reach allies abroad. EMP jamming is a need more sustained assaults on enemies, especially if they potential hazard, so it is a good idea to stock any large units have a vital strategic position or you are defending life support with a neutrino or quantum communications rig, since these systems or critical infrastructure. are difficult if not impossible to jam, and allow distress signals Urban Combat and Entrenchment to be sent reliably to remote forces. Not all distress calls will be heard by someone willing to come to your aid, but a slight In urban environments, you will have decent fighting chance of rescue is better than no chance of rescue. positions in the form of structures and other cover, but in uninhabited locations you may not have this advantage. Even Microgravity Habitat Defense though an improvised force cannot hope to go toe to toe with a Fighting in microgravity usually ends in victory for formal military entity, entrenchment and urban warfare can whoever is willing to destroy more of the habitat to get what delay defeat long enough for allies to arrive, or at the very they want. If your assailant wants to destroy the habitat, only least mitigate enemy numerical and technical advantages. a good point defense system or some brave egos making a Finding cover in buildings or behind edifices is tricky; preemptive assault on them will stop them. many terrestrial structures are not built to withstand If your opponents are unwilling to destroy the habitat, gunshots, and this is true for internal habitat construction as you can control their movements by jettisoning or well. Habitat exterior walls and bulkheads will likely provide depressurizing parts of the habitat. While this can be meaningful cover, as will structures built to withstand intense hazardous, jettisoned sections of a habitat can be restored environmental stresses or military action. fairly easily and deny enemy access to convenient traveling The main purpose of fighting from a building is to spaces, forcing them to move between airlocks. achieve a height and stealth advantage. Heavy weapons If possible denying access to ship systems, such as deployed from above have a greater chance of destroying airlocks and life support will slow enemy assaults. Enemy armored vehicles with a decreased chance for retaliation; forces without the support of an attached ship will be forced to assault cannons, plasma rifles, and soft-launch seekers are rely on internal reserves of oxygen and water, which can force very effective. Light weapons can also be deployed against them to make unprepared assaults. Being prepared with infantry from structures. vacuum sealed armor or synthetic forces can allow an The challenges in fighting from buildings come from immediate response against a disoriented or unprepared the difficulties in evading pursuit and maintaining cover. In enemy, and habitats do not necessarily need to be damaged to populated urban environments, enemy combatants may have allow partial or complete depressurization of individual rules of engagement that prohibit bombardment or damage to modules. structures that are inhabited, meaning that any response has Alternatively, it may be just as easy to entirely to be done with small arms and directed toward known enemy forestall assaults in microgravity by exploiting the nature of positions. Enemies with known hostile presence will be most habitats. Having a portion of the habitat be jettisoned breached and searched. Maintaining and using egress pints from the main body with enemy forces on-board or simply such as fire escapes can allow you to attack a foe, leave on the flying away in a separate vessel may be the best strategy to other side of the building, and disengage. In low gravity minimize allied losses and deny enemy objectives. Enemy environments, or where it is possible to install ziplines or other vessels docked at a habitat are fair game for a counterassault, such devices, it may be possible to move troops between and capturing an enemy spacecraft can provide a valuable buildings, allowing for continued harassment and rapid bargaining chip for coercing a force into surrender. movement and escape.

Effective Combat Strategies Fighting in buildings also allows for more effective crossfire ambushes; it may be possible to hit an enemy from Engaging a superior force is only reasonable if there two or three directions simultaneously without the risk of is some advantage on your part. Hit and run attacks are stray rounds hitting your own forces. This tends to be

24 incredibly disorienting, and may be sufficient to deter Ground-based drones are susceptible to more mercenaries or green soldiers, delaying or preventing threats than aerial drones, as they can fall victim to mines and assaults. other explosives.

Entrenchments provide meaningful cover. Either One of the major threats posed by drones is sensory taking the form of fortified buildings, actual trenches, or other capabilities beyond those of a standard human. It is possible to man-made cover, entrenchment is obvious but still difficult. The spoof or blind these senses. In terrestrial environments, there easiest way to clear entrenchments is with indirect fire, so are few scanners capable of penetrating more than a meter of foes with artillery, air support, or a willingness to deploy earth or concrete, making subterranean bunkers with thick grenades and seekers are particularly threatening to walls a good last resort; these can be made from earth with entrenched units. If done properly, entrenchments must be entrenchment tools or constructor nanites in a fairly short searched similarly to buildings. timeframe, and require manual clearing with drones. Building temporary underground shelters that can be dropped on Whenever an enemy force is moving through terrain command allows defenders to bury hostile drones, though this that you control, stealth can work to your advantage. works better against small flying scout drones than against Ambushing isolated units or setting up choke-points to fire on larger drones. hostile infantry is always effective, as it increases the hazard inherent in breaching and clearing structures. Drones can also be compromised by a hacker, allowing them to be suborned. This is typically difficult, but not Explosives may also be used to deter enemies from impossible. If hostile drones are interfaced with the local mesh, searching buildings; used as traps they may be capable of changing AR and other digital pathfinding can delay drones or taking out an enemy fireteam or squad, but obvious bombs confuse them. are a powerful psychological warfare tool. Be aware that if hostile forces are able to remotely detonate your bombs, they Finally, dedicated EMP weapons can be effective may be used as tools against you. It is also a war crime to against jammed drones. While drones on AI operation will deploy such techniques where civilian lives are at stake. suffer only a loss of communication when hit with an EMP attack, remote controlled drones may crash or lose targets Countering Drones before they are able to switch back to their AI, giving a short Drones are an occupation or assault force's greatest window in which the drone can be directly assaulted. advantage when it comes to defended positions. EMP or infosec efforts can prevent drones from communicating, which CBRNN Defense prevents them from relaying your position back to allies. The Fall provided grim evidence of the need for armed Drones tend to be more durable than one would expect; even forces to be provided with appropriate CBRNN (Chemical, light drones can withstand significant small arms fire. Railguns biological, radiological, nuclear, and nanowar) gear and or seekers are recommended for engaging drones. If seekers training. These defense techniques boil down to avoidance, are available, but in limited stock, they should be saved for use protection, and decontamination. against drones and synthmorphs. CBRN warfare and countermeasures originated on The most dangerous drones for disadvantaged forces Earth in the 20th century and evolved to include nanowar to encounter are flying drones; it may be better to pursue a systems such as nanoswarms and appropriate mobility kill on these drones, effectively shooting them out of countermeasures for them. the air, than to try to destroy them outright. In microgravity, many flying drones will be able to recover from potential When CBRNN hazards are detected, it is appropriate to mobility kills (for instance, shooting out one of two thrust mark them redundantly. Physical markers should be placed vector units), making it more practical to attempt for complete (adhesive versions are available for microgravity destruction of the drone rather than immobilization. environments, where appropriate), on the outskirts of areas where hazardous environments are detected. AR tags may be used to supplement these physical markers.

25 Chemical Biological Chemical warfare is somewhat less common now Biological warfare is slower but in many ways more than it was on Earth. Gas-dispersal weapons are effective in dangerous than chemical warfare. Biological weapons can enclosed habitats, but thin atmospheres tend to limit the destroy biomorphs and pods, and highly contagious biowar effectiveness of these weapons, and the prominence of weapons can be used to incapacitate or kill large forces. Most personal vacuum-sealed suits in microgravity habitats means pathogens have been categorized and rated by biosafety level. that only agents capable of corroding through suits or Pathogens of biosafety level 1 are not known to cause affecting synthmorphs quickly are effective. disease and infection in flats or splicers. Biosafety level 2 pathogens are capable of infecting flats (but not usually It is occasionally common to encounter liquid chemical splicers and other biomorphs), but do not pose a reasonable hazards, both as a consequence of fighting in habitats or as a fear of death with medical treatment. Protective gear and dedicated weapon. Most gas-based chemical hazards can be decontamination procedures should be followed for biosafety avoided with proper use of a mask and hood or full hazards of level 2 and greater. environmental seal. Direct morph exposure to liquid or dry chemicals like thermite, scrapper gel, strong bases or acids, Biosafety level 3 pathogens are easily transmitted and other reactive materials such as white phosphorous and require containment. They have symptoms that can range requires decontamination. from incapacitating to fatal without treatment. Many of these can infect splicers and biomorphs not tailored explicitly to Nerve agents are common chemical warfare resist disease. weapons, and can be countered with atropine if treated in time. Other chemical agents can still be dangerous, especially if Biosafety level 4 pathogens are capable of causing soldiers are not wearing protective gear at time of exposure. death or serious damage to almost all biomorphs, and should General purpose decontamination lotions and powders are be avoided. Biosafety level 4 pathogens cannot be treated used to limit the effects of chemical weapons and other toxic effectively by human technology, and include TITAN biological agents, though decontamination is a difficult process if weapons. soldiers have suffered exposure to their face and remain in an TITAN biowar agents are highly complex, and need to environment with airborne toxins. Most effective be treated with much more caution than any other agent. They decontamination requires water, which can be at a premium in are considered to be biosafety level 4 hazards, though some many habitats. scientists have contemplated reclassifying them as BSL-5 Environmentally sealed heavy armor and vacsuits agents. provide a good line of defense against most battlefield The two major transhuman-created bioweapons are chemical weapons, and synthmorphs are inherently immune trigger and degen. Degen is not immediately fatal, but causes to blister, nerve, and other chemical agents. Exposure to highly cortical stack corruption, which means that frequent backups corrosive chemical weapons that can damage synthmorphs, should be utilized where soldiers may come into contact with armor, or vehicles requires withdrawal from the field. degen. Trigger causes massive allergic reactions, which can be Exposure to psychoactive agents requires special treated but are often fatal, even with medichines. care and evaluation. Most of these agents are not effective on Xenobiowar agents are also available, though they are the battlefield, though Flight has been used extensively in rarely used. Exoplanets with native or implanted life should battlefield circumstances. Although generally nonlethal, these have the environment itself be considered a biological weapon. can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from TITAN nanowar The primary hazard in these environments comes in the form agents, and may cause egos to require psychosurgical repair of toxins or allergic reactions. when compounded with battlefield stressors. Fortunately, these agents are not effective against synthmorphs, drones, Bio-defense units are available to protect soldiers and some types of AI-driven pods, though egos sleeved in a against both alien and terrestrial bioweapons (though harmful pod are usually vulnerable.

26 terrestrial microorganisms are often spared), though these synthmorphs may suffer corruption to cortical stacks as a should not be considered effective against TITAN biowarfare. result of radiation exposure.

With the advent of synthmorphs and drones, Radioactive Materials biological weapons have become less common, especially Typically, fusion and fission reactors as well as since a synthmorph can care for an afflicted biomorph without antimatter containment vessels and reactors become highly fear of contagion, though decontamination processes must be radioactive throughout their course of operation. Nuclear followed. weapons or dirty bombs can also result in exposure to One major issue for forces that encounter biological radioactive materials. warfare with a significant number of biomorphs is the question Radioactive material emits ionizing radiation as a of handling the infected. With the advent of TITAN bioweapons, result of nuclear decay, an atomic process that varies from it has become clear that many biological attacks will no longer material to material. Irradiation in this form is less likely to resemble traditional illness, instead causing sophisticated and result in acute radiation sickness, but can cause major cultured effects in their targets, including potential alterations damage to both biomorphs and synthmorphs with sufficient to a soldier's psychology. exposure.

Radiation The primary ways to prevent radioactive materials Radiation can come from two sources; remote contamination involve decontamination and ensuring that ionizing radiation sources (such as cosmic radiation coming particles do not enter airways, cavities, or other places on a from the sun, an enhanced radiation weapon, or nuclear morph that may be difficult to decontaminate. Gear used in a weapons), or from fallout and radioactive materials. contaminated environment is typically abandoned as part of the decontamination process, but it may be possible to remove Ionizing Radiation radioactive particles and return objects once contaminated Ionizing radiation can be avoided by finding with radioactive material to regular service. appropriate cover. Any external habitat wall, including interior Defending against radioactive material is relatively walls on modular habitats that may potentially be exposed simple, as radioactive particles with long half-lives and high directly to vacuum, will provide moderate protection from radioactivity tend to be large, and can be effectively filtered external radiation. Most surfaces provide adequate protection with a simple face mask. It is still necessary to decontaminate from alpha radiation, but gamma radiation and x-rays affected personnel and equipment, however, and spending penetrate through most materials. In terrestrial environments, long times in contaminated regions is particularly hazardous. subterranean bunkers are typically well protected, as about a meter of dirt or concrete halves exposure to radiation. Nuclear Advanced compounds and lead can shield against Nuclear weapons pose a major threat to military radiation in man-portable systems, such as CBRNN suits, and operations. Dirty bombs tend to behave as simple radioactive can be added as modifications to most armor. Standard hazards, but both traditional nuclear weapons and antimatter vacuum suits do not provide meaningful protection from weapons require special protective care. potentially hazardous doses of directed ionizing radiation. Gear to protect from nearby nuclear blasts is beyond Acute exposure to radiation results in radiation transhuman manufacture, but CBRNN protection includes sickness in biomorphs. Bananas furiosas, as well as synthetic safety features that help in the immediate aftermath of nuclear drugs, can reduce the effects of radiation sickness, and weapons strikes. Typically, CBRNN gear has better protection augmentations can provide increased tolerance to radiation. than needed against the radioactive material generated by Basic biomods or treatment in a healing vat will prevent most nuclear weapons and reactor detonations, but also includes of the long-term negative impacts of radiation, however. some radiation dampening and flash compensation and Synthmorphs can have critical components damaged by reflective or ablative protection, which can prove effective at prolonged or acute exposure to radiation. Both biomorphs and reducing the effective kill radius of a nuclear/antimatter

27 weapon in vacuum or low-pressure environments where the personnel may require restoration from backup, as pressure wave from a nuclear blast is less likely to cause nanotoxins and nanoswarms can destroy or corrupt cortical significant harm. stacks.

Nanowar Military Police Nanowar is relatively new; it was considered to be too Every sizable transhuman military or paramilitary costly to be effective in most pre-Fall military engagements, force has includes a military police subunit. These units ensure but the TITANs pioneered self-replicating nanoswarms in a way proper operation of bases, detention centers, and law that was far from effective. enforcement operations in areas where their attached units Early nanowar systems were created as an are operating. alternative to aging chemical weapons stores; offering similar Military police in mercenary units assist or stand in for effects to chemical agents on biomorphs and soft targets, but local law enforcement while maintaining the unit's rules among with better armor negation and a designated life cycle. its members. Military police are involved in counterterrorism, CBRNN gear quickly evolved to handle the threat with anti-sabotage, and physical security operations. MP are also the introduction of guardian nanoswarms as well as EMP involved in most of the “hearts and minds” operations that systems that proved marginally effective against take place, as well as cybersecurity efforts. nanoswarms. Transhuman technology after the Fall is still The military police is made up of soldiers, but unlike lacking in effective countermeasures to nanowar weapons, most soldiers they are trained for more direct peacekeeping especially when confronted with TITAN-crafted nanomachines. roles, including special response teams that would be similar The common solution is simply to flood areas with guardian to SWAT teams in civilian police forces. nanomachine hives and hope for the best, while providing each individual soldier with a personal guardian hive in case MP Infrastructure hostile nanites survive the assault. Nanodetectors are Military police are integrated into units through a standard issue in most armies, even in Jovian units that would number of ways, but no matter how the setup works (MP normally distrust such nanotechnology. being part of a larger military unit, or a distinct branch of the An important distinction for nanowar is the difference armed services, or et cetera), the MP has a senior officer between free nanoswarms and nanotoxins. Nanotoxins have answering to the general executive officer of the unit, highly selective methods of working, although they are just as installation, or operation in question. active as nanoswarms, and may have limited areas of effect. Mercenaries operating with a military police function Although nanotoxins exist that can be effective against both need to be careful to keep records in accordance with the synthmorphs and biomorphs, they tend to be highly requirements of their contracts. Depending on the status of specialized. Free nanoswarms are either linked to a hive (and the forces within the operational area, this can be critical. With can replenish), or deplete over time, but provide area denial an appropriate status of forces agreement, locals are dealt effects or complete programmed tasks, which may not be with via the local legal system, while mercenaries or soldiers related to damaging or reporting targets within their area of are subject to the rules imposed by their company or polity of effect. Some nanoswarms self-replicate, but these tend to be origin. Interactions with civilians and captured combatants will the realm of TITANs and last-ditch assaults, as the hazards of likely require transfer of records between the MP and local these technologies are widely accepted. civilian and military (if applicable) agencies.

As with biological weapons, many nanowar weapons On the other hand, information security is also crucial. are capable of suborning their targets, but they are able to Even in autonomist habitats, where information about a afflict drones, biomorphs, synthmorphs, and virtually any person's actions is typically not privileged, exposing an fighting machine. Although most nanowar agents are pretty individual's status in the MP system is still considered to be a mundane, the TITANs have been known to deploy highly exotic breach of privacy, and may permit hostile influence of said nanoweapons which require special concerns. Infected

28 individuals through extortion, blackmail, threats of exposure, or bribes.

It is also helpful to arrange for local and, where possible, larger scale law enforcement records to be transferred when dealing with counterinsurgency and military police roles. Although the process is generally frowned upon, reputation networks are sometimes used to assess whether an individual is desirable. When in doubt, undesirables who cross paths with MP and are engaged in suspicious behavior are incarcerated on principle.

29 Weapon Qualities The After-Fall Armory A lot of people overlook the vagaries of various The Fall taught transhumanity a number of things. weapons. Each weapon has its own unique upsides and First, you can't count on massive decentralized AI tactical downsides, and you should be making an intelligent and networks in place of boots on the ground. Second, sufficiently informed decision about each of your tools as you prepare for nasty things can suborn your gear. Third, most battlefields are battle. pretty unsurvivable for even well-prepared transhumans. Some weapons are renowned for their ability to I'd say that about half of the things that I encountered consistently put out damage against a variety of targets. during the Fall were things that could only be dealt with using These reliable weapons are a mainstay in many peoples' specialized gear or external support. At New Mumbai we had to arsenals. deploy nukes to stop the TITANs' advance, and we didn't have Positive Weapon Qualities enough time to get everyone out (civilians and soldiers both). Reliable weapons roll each damage die twice, taking So, with that in mind, here are a few things that the higher result as the final outcome for the die. Reliable anyone going into combat in this day and age should expect. applies not only to the weapon's base damage, but any I'm going to take a moment to remind everyone that the best damage added by automatic fire. Alternatively, 2 damage may force multiplier in existence is the transhuman mind, unless be added for each d10 in the weapon's DV instead of rerolling the Factors do something particularly shocking, so do enough dice. reading to set yourself apart from the genetrash. A handful of weapons are capable of causing damage • Well, we know who this is marketed at. -Rackham to a large area; these blast-causing weapons can hit multiple • People who like to pretend that they're as good as targets at once. Ultimates? -Harm Area weapons are not content merely to damage a Handling Expensive+ Costs single target, but also cause damage to additional morphs. Targets standing within a number of meters equal to the Blast Eclipse Phase uses simplified costs to reflect the fact rating of the weapon fall victim to the same effects as the that it is unlikely that one will find items at the same price in original target of the weapon. habitats on opposite sides of the solar system. An Ultimate's Guide to Combat, however, looks at military and government There are some weapons capable of functioning issue equipment that would cost a fortune on the private radically differently, to the point where different skills are used market, and for which blueprints may simply be unavailable or with various modes of the weapon. extremely highly restricted. AUGC uses Expensive+, Multi-Mode weapons are capable of being used in Expensive++, and so forth to denote objects that not only are multiple different configurations. The skills used will vary from expensive, but are orders of magnitude more expensive than weapon to weapon. standard; Expensive+ is equivalent to 100,000 credits as an average cost, Expensive++ is equivalent to 1,000,000 credits It is not uncommon to find weapons that cause as an average cost, and so forth. These are not considered damage across a whole cone of fire. These weapons are categories for the purposes of increasing categories devastating to unsuspecting combatants or those who cannot (something which is expensive follows the rules on p. 296, EP); take cover. increasing categories from Expensive+ increases the cost by Saturation weapons use special rules detailed in the 100,000 credits, and something which is increasing from Saturation Attacks section. Expensive++ would increase the cost by a million credits. Some rare weapons do damage directly through radioactivity (x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, or other energetic particles). These are highly illegal, and go by a number of names; they are generally lumped together as

30 enhanced radiation weapons. Some nuclear weapons, typically (10), which would indicate that the weapon does ten damage referred to as enhanced radiation weapons, yield primarily against a nanoswarm. radiation instead of blast and heat, and have this quality as Negative Weapon Qualities well. Some weapons are just plain unwieldy. These Radioactive weapons ignore a target's armor, though weapons are difficult to use and carry effectively, making it special radiation hardening applies. They also expose targets difficult to move effectively while carrying them. to a number of grays equal to their rating. Nanoswarms hit with radioactive weapons suffer double the weapon's Unwieldy weapons confer a -10 penalty to all Flight, Radioactive rating is in direct damage in addition to whatever Fray, Freerunning, and Freefall tests made by the user while damage the weapon would normally do to them. the weapon is being carried or used. Characters with multiple unwieldy weapons suffer the first -10 penalty and then take an Flame weapons have the added upside of potentially additional -5 penalty for each additional weapon. Large lighting targets on fire. morphs reduce the penalty for unwieldy weapons by 5, and Flame weapons ignite the target on an Excellent very large morphs reduce the penalty by 10. Small morphs, on (30+) success, similar to the torch spray weapon (p. 341, EP), the other hand, increase the penalty by 5. doing damage equal to the Flame rating each turn. Older weapons, and some post-Fall weapons made in Intrepid weapons manufacturers have derived a a pinch to use fewer resources, suffer from recoil. I like to keep number of ways to create weapons that permanently damage an old anti-materiel rifle from Earth that I've had since I left for armor, rather than merely piercing through it. New Mumbai in a locker. It packs a real kick, but it's as hard- hitting as any gun you'll see today. Defab weapons cause damage to the target's armor; each piece of armor that an attack from the weapon hits has Firing a weapon with the Recoil quality imposes a -10 its rating lowered by the attack's Defab rating until it is penalty to future attacks with that weapon during the repaired. Self-healing armor is still affected, but repairs remainder of the combat turn, unless the weapon has been damage from Defab at a rate of one point per hour (repair deployed or the character uses a complex action to recover spray can be applied normally). from the recoil. A weapon with the Recoil quality firing a burst provides a -5 penalty to the user's weapon skill, and full It is also possible to send intense electrical pulses automatic fire of any sort provides a -10 penalty to the user's through weapons. In some cases, these not only cause an accuracy. incapacitating shock but also deal additional damage to both synthmorphs and biomorphs through electrical heating. One thing you don't hear about firearms that often is how many of them are total lemons. Especially if you're buying Shock weapons cause a shock attack (p. 204, EP), from scum tinkerers or the Jovians, you can expect a lot of and may also do additional damage separately from their low-end cheaper firearms to be unreliable at best. original attack. This damage is halved against synthmorphs and biomorphs equipped with protection from electrical shock. When firing a weapon with the Lemon quality, the This damage is separate, and decreased by the energy armor weapon jams (kinetic, seeker, or spray weapons) or of the target. overheats (energy weapons) if the attacker rolls a 1 on any of the damage dice rolled on account of the weapon's DV. Melee A handful of weapons are intentionally or weapons with the Lemon quality break entirely; they lose any unintentionally designed in such a manner that they are other qualities and do 1d10+SOM÷10 damage. A jammed absolutely devastating to nanomachines, inflicting their full projectile weapon requires a Complex Action to unjam, while weapon damage instead of a partial amount. an overheated energy weapon cannot be to attack again until Nanowar weapons do full damage to nanoswarms, the end of the next turn. Broken melee weapons may be unless a particular rating is explicitly stated, such as Nanowar repaired; the Game Master decides what processes this entails.

31 Lemon counts only the final damage dice rolled; a round capacity modified to fire rounds in a smaller caliber can Reliable weapon with the Lemon quality only has the Lemon hold 42 rounds in a standard magazine, or 63 in an extended effect apply if any of the final dice are a 1, not if any of the rolled magazine, while the same rifle modified to use larger caliber dice are a 1. rounds could hold 24 rounds in its magazine, or 36 in an extended magazine. When calculating the number of rounds Variable Rating Weapon Qualities that a firearm using an alternate caliber can use, always round Sometimes weapon qualities may have a range or list down; though capacities of extended magazines are calculated of values; this means that the user can decide the level at prior to rounding, however. There is no (effective) cost which the quality functions. Occasionally you will also see difference between rounds of different calibers. variable rating qualities with the value determined by things like distance from a target. Alternatively, firearms can be purchased with the Caliber Adaptation modification applied; this does not change Example: Kinetic Gauntlets have an Area (0-10) rating, their cost, though they cannot use normal caliber rounds. which means that they can be used to effect a single target only, or all targets within ten meters. All normal firearms require the Caliber Adaptation modification to function with alternate caliber rounds; railguns Example 2: Rad seekers have a Radioactive (40|20| can use small caliber rounds by default, but must be upgraded 10) rating, which means that the effect is different when with a large caliber adaptation. different conditions are met—in this case range from targets. Alternate Propellant Loads Weapon Qualities and Automatic Fire It is possible to manufacture traditional firearm (but Weapon qualities that apply to attacks may be not railgun) projectiles with different propellant and projectile doubled by automatic fire; this only applies to qualities like materials and proportions to make very effective bullets with Radioactive, Flame, or Defab that have direct numerical effect. special qualities. The two most common types of load changes Example: An HMG firing Defab rounds (which confer a are hypervelocity and subsonic rounds. There is no (effective) Defab rating of 2) hits an enemy APC. Since the Defab rating is cost difference between these rounds and other rounds. doubled, the APC loses 4/4 from its armor rating. Hypervelocity rounds use a projectile of normal Damage Bonus weight and a more energetic propellant. They can only use ammunition types that are compatible with railguns. If fired in a An Ultimate's Guide to Combat introduces a variety of firearm without the hypervelocity adaptation, they add the new weapons, many of which use different statistic recoil effect, as they are substantially more energetic than calculations. It is suggested that Damage Bonus be calculated standard rounds. Low-quality firearms may explode on a using the rules in Transhuman (p. 96), which state that either critical failure with hypervelocity rounds, though most after- SOM + DUR ÷ 20 be used to calculate Damage Bonus or that Fall weapons can handle the additional pressure. Firearms with small morphs should decrease Damage Bonus by 1 and large the Lemon quality will explode if hypervelocity rounds are used morphs should increase Damage Bonus by 2. For sake of in them. Hypervelocity rounds get a slight range bonus. consistency with the other books, this book uses SOM ÷ 10 to represent the standard damage bonus, and adds in weapons Subsonic rounds, on the other hand, are designed so that use SOM ÷ 5, for weapons that use double the normal that their projectile never breaks the sound barrier. Typically, damage bonus. projectile weight is increased while propellant loads are decreased or kept similar to standard rounds. Subsonic Alternate Caliber rounds are harder to hear than normal rounds (-10 to Firearms in AF 10 can be found in alternate calibers perception tests to hear, which stacks with silencers and other that make them more suitable for specific types of combat; a effects), but they have shorter range and poorer penetration rifle with a smaller round may not do as much damage as its and damage performance on account of the slower speed. full sized counterpart, but it will allow for more ammunition to be loaded into a magazine; a standard automatic rifle with a 30

32 Railguns cannot change propellant loads, as they do caliber or high caliber rounds, changing their effectiveness and not use traditional propellants. ammunition capacity. A firearm can have a small or large caliber adaptation (or a normal caliber adaptation, if they come Smartgun Systems with a pre-existing caliber modification applied), while railguns The smartgun system is marketed as a weapon for typically only have large caliber modifications. Unlike firearms, someone who doesn't want to worry about self defense. Used railguns can fire rounds smaller than their caliber adaptation, similarly to a normal gun, smartguns typically have a barrel though neither firearms nor railguns can fire high caliber that can aim fifteen to thirty degrees off of where the user is rounds without the appropriate adaptation. aiming, and fires after using a smartlink system to verify Mechanically, small caliber rounds suffer a -2 DV targets with the user. Smartguns use an integrated AI with its penalty, but gain a 40 percent magazine capacity increase and own weapon skill, and are typically hardened against assault an additional -1 AP. Large caliber rounds gain +2 DV, but only by using a variant of skinlink; with only an hour's training have 80 percent of the normal magazine capacity. If used with users can send commands by neural reflex. Haptic feedback extended magazines, small caliber rounds have 210 percent of encourages the user to hold the weapon in such a way that it the weapon's original capacity without extended magazines, can engage its targets. The feed from the weapon to the user while large caliber rounds have 120 percent of the normal is sent wirelessly to mesh inserts, however, and may be ammunition capacity without extended magazines. [Free if intercepted or jammed. The transmitter sending targeting purchased with weapon, otherwise Low] feedback ot the user has an effective distance of five meters, and has an EMP threshold of 12. • Don't write off small caliber rounds. Having the ability to shove incredible amounts of ammunition into a Smartgun systems comprise two separate parts: the firearm is sometimes better than having to reload AI and computer components and the mobility platform that every fifteen seconds, even if you need a few more accompany it. The AI has a skill rating of 25 or 40 based on the bullets to get a kill. -Arvid electronics suite it runs on and the software loaded. These packages have a Moderate or High cost, respectively. Most Hypervelocity Adaptation: Firearms with the smartgun AI packages can be applied to any weapon, though hypervelocity adaptation mod do not have the recoil quality exotic weapons may not have sufficient data available for use. added when firing hypervelocity ammunition. [High] Smartguns can be used without mechanisms, but suffer a -10 • Troops don't understand recoil like they used to in the penalty. By paying one cost category more for the mobility good old days. This is a must if you're using platform, the smartgun can gain a +20 bonus. hypervelocity rounds; I've seen too many soldiers The mobility components of a smartgun must be hold the trigger until it clicks and put a measly four purchased separately. The modifications necessary to make a rounds on target because they don't know how to one-handed weapon a smartgun are available at Moderate shoot guns right. -Rackham cost, while two-handed smartgun adapters typically have a Smartgun Computer: Smartgun computers house an High cost. Unwieldy weapons cannot be made into smartguns. AI with basic target detection, trajectory calculation, and Should a smartgun system be purchased for a projectile tracking software built-in. They also include sensors weapon without a smartlink, they double as a smartlink. and a modified skinlink pad that allows them to autonomously pick targets to be vetted by the user. They are available at • Anyone who needs a smartgun doesn't deserve the levels that replicate a skill level of 25, or a skill level of 40, for hand they're holding it with. -Harm their respective weapons. Without a smartgun adapter, a Kinetic Weapons smartgun can still fire, but suffers a -10 penalty. [Moderate for 25, High for 40] New Kinetic Weapon Mods Smartgun Mobility Platform: Smartgun mobility Caliber Adaptation: Firearms may be rechambered platforms allow for a weapon to be used with a smartgun and have barrels and other mechanisms replaced to use small computer, allowing for a user to simply point the weapon in the

33 right direction and tell the computer to let loose. [Moderate for loaders are used rather than detachable magazines to allow one-handed weapons, High for two-handed weapons. for rapid reloading. [Low] Increase cost category by one level to gain a +20 bonus to the • These have come a long way since the 19th century. smartgun's weapon rolls] With all the features of a modern firearm, you'll forget Shortened Barrel: A shortened barrel (and you're firing a revolver until you go to reload. -Arvid electromagnetic rails in a railgun) reduces the range of a • I've actually come to like these because you can put weapon by 20 percent, but provides a +5 bonus to the user's different rounds in each cylinder; it's like having a accuracy in close combat that partially negates the penalty for smart ammunition system, but you get bigger bullets fighting at targets who are attacking the user. Pistols and instead of just trading down ammo capacity. -Harm other one-handed weapons do not gain this benefit. [Moderate] Designated Marksman Rifle: Firing a larger round than traditional automatic rifles, DMRs are intended for use by Barrel Extension: By adding length to the barrel of a skilled marksmen against distant targets. A cross between the firearm, or adding longer electromagnetic rails to a railgun, it is sniper rifle and automatic rifle, it provides better range and possible to increase the accurate range of a kinetic weapon by firepower, with a focus on armor penetration. [High] twenty percent. However, the weapon gains a -10 penalty to firing in point blank range, negating the usual bonus. This Breakdown Survival Pistol/Rifle: Built to be penalty is also applied when a weapon is used to fire back at a manufactured from parts available to almost anyone, the melee attacker. If applied to an anti-material rifle or sniper rifle, breakdown survival rifle is a modular weapon built to be able the weapon becomes Unwieldy. This modification cannot to be deconstructed into smaller pieces. The components can practically be applied to weapons which are Unwieldy. be built on almost any fabber, and may be disguised as [Moderate] everyday goods to avoid arms restrictions and be carried into secure areas. Both the pistol and rifle share the same caliber Automatic Fire Control: Most modern firearms have and central mechanics; the main adjustments are barrel length an automatic weapon, and most of those can be configured to and the addition of a foregrip and stock. The rifle is loaded via fire at increasingly rapid rates. Automatic fire control systems stripper clip, rather than a removable magazine. allow weapons not originally designed for automatic or burst fire to gain the full-auto and burst fire firing modes, so long as It takes thirty seconds to assemble the components they are capable of semiautomatic or burst fire (i.e. they are into a pistol, and sixty to assemble a rifle. Silencers and not single shot weapons). These systems are not available for smartlinks are available for breakdown guns, but are not revolvers. [Moderate] capable of being disguised as other objects. They can also be built with caliber modifications, but not any other weapon Semiautomatic Fire Control: The alternative to an mods. [Low] automatic fire control group, semiautomatic fire control groups add semiautomatic fire modes to weapons not normally • You can't find railgun variants of breakdown guns. The capable of firing single shots, like machine guns, but only if materials needed are too complex, and most of the those weapons are not single-shot weapons. [Moderate] breakdown guns are intended for use by dissidents, not superspies. -Harm New Kinetic Weapons Pipe Rifle: Made out of everyday materials, pipe rifles Revolver: A blast from the past, revolvers fire higher are improvised firearms that can be made by any amateur caliber rounds than heavy pistols and are better adapted for gunsmith with a copy of the Autonomist's Guide to Anarchy. engagements at longer ranges. Unlike traditional revolvers, They require a Hardware: Armorer test to make (more to find there is no chamber gap, as the chamber is slide-mounted and the parts, rather than assemble them), and lack many basic seals to the body of the firearm when in firing position, firearm features, such as magazines, barrel rifling, or the allowing for the use of a silencer. More hefty than a pistol, they ability to mount weapon modifications. Due to their nature, cannot be as easily concealed, but otherwise are a one- handed weapon that functions similarly to a pistol. Speed

34 they are only safe at certain calibers, if such a weapon can be some variants also include semi-automatic fire), they fire considered “safe” at all. devastatingly large rounds at frightening speeds. Heavy machine guns are two-handed weapons, and have the Pipe rifles that have the Lemon effect come into play Unwieldy quality. Heavy machine guns require an entire Action have a misfire, requiring the weapon to be manually unloaded Turn to reload, per the Reloading Heavy Weapons rules. and reloaded, requiring two complex actions. [Expensive] Nobody has made effective railgun variants of pipe Anti-Materiel Rifle: Capable of taking down light rifles; the simplicity of a pipe rifle is difficult to emulate with the armored vehicles and drones (but not most tanks), anti- requisite electronics systems, and all attempts to build them materiel rifles fire rounds that are evolved from 12.7 or 20 out of household components has resulted in weapons that millimeter anti-aircraft guns of the early 20th century. shoot slow, ineffective projectiles. [Trivial] [Expensive] Sleeve Gun: These weapons are built to be attached to Assault Cannon: Assault cannons fire rounds adapted the user's forearm. Rather than early variants of the weapon, from heavy vehicle autocannons. Only technically an infantry which were intended for covert use, sleeve guns post-Fall weapon, they require deployment to avoid recoil and are focus on providing a reliable sidearm for infantry in sustained unwieldy. Assault cannons cannot have caliber mods applied, combat. Fired using a mechanism embedded in the user's and subsonic and hypervelocity rounds are not available for wrist, they can be fired via smartlink or a physical mechanism assault cannons. Assault cannons require an entire Action without requiring the users' hands to be free. Somewhat Turn to reload, per the Reloading Heavy Weapons rules. difficult to conceal, sleeve guns are favored by soldiers as [Expensive+] backup weapons that can be integrated into armor or worn without requiring another hand free, though glitterati wearing More Railguns extravagant finery have been known to conceal a sleeve gun Railgun variants of practically every conventional under flowing clothing. firearm exist (shotguns being the only notable exception). As While sleeve guns do not need to be held in the user's such there are a few things noted. hand, they must still be aimed and fired. Users cannot usually Railgun variants of Expensive firearms are treated as hold something and move their hand out of the line of fire, so being Expensive+, while Railgun variants of Expensive+ they must either drop what they are holding or move it to their weapons are still Expensive+ (but have a minimum cost of other hand. Sleeve guns are particularly difficult to modify, and 200,000). cannot mount a silencer or flash suppressor. Silenced models are available, but suffer a -2 penalty to DV and AP on account of Railgun heavy machine guns and anti-materiel rifles the smaller rounds that are used to make silencing the burn through batteries at twice the rate of other railguns (100 weapon easier. [High] shots per standard battery), and railgun assuault cannons burn through batteries at four times the rate (50 shots per • The railgun variants of these are pretty much standard battery). categorically superior. They hold more ammunition, putting them on par with an SMG. Firearm variants New Kinetic Ammunition use a flash guard to keep them from burning the Listed costs are per 100 rounds of ammunition. user's arm (though some models for use by Defab: Defab rounds include a core of densely packed synthmorphs or armored personnel lack these), nanites and chemical compound capsules that target which means that they have less room for specifically armor compounds: fullerenes, organoweaves, ammunition. -Arvid spider silk, elastic polymers, and ceramic, metal, and smart Heavy Machine Gun: For when a normal machine gun compounds used in most armors. Rather than explicitly isn't heavy enough, the heavy machine gun offers higher destroy items made of these materials, defab rounds simply calibers and larger mechanisms to guarantee that targets go weaken these materials until they no longer provide protective down. Typically only capable of full-automatic fire (though

35 value. Defab rounds even affect implanted bioweave armor attached to other weapons without requiring attention from a and robotic armor enhancements. [Moderate] professional armorer.

• Defab's new, and I don't think it'll stick around forever. • I thought this was a military arms catalog. -Rackham It's got its uses, but it isn't as effective as just loading • What? Too high and mighty for the shotgun? It's had a up with armor piercing ammunition. -Rackham long history, and flak cannons are pretty nice. -Harm Shotguns Underbarrel Shotgun: The underbarrel shotgun has Shotguns are not as effective as battlefield weapons been a staple of counterterrorism and military forces for as their depiction in the media would indicate. Mercenaries and many years, and its utility combined with its quick stopping soldiers will not typically be outfitted with shotguns, but there power makes it ideal. As a complex action, an underbarrel are times when the weapons are useful for one of two shotgun can be attached to any two-handed weapon. It can purposes: light, unarmored targets (such as biomorphs or also be used as a standalone weapon, but requires two hands cases), or when fighting threatens to breach a habitat. to use in this manner due to the awkward design of the Shotguns tend to have a lower muzzle velocity than firearm. [Moderate] other kinetic weapons. For the past two decades, the same Shotgun Pistol: The variety of sawn-off shotguns and advances that mitigated recoil in other firearms have been other highly portable shotguns manufactured by applied to shotguns, so you don't have to worry about the kick transhumanity is exceptional, but the one common trend that of a 12-gauge taking out your shoulder. shotgun pistols have is being neat single-handed weapons Likewise, smart materials allow for the choke (which that fire normal shotgun rounds. [Moderate] changes the pattern of shot impact) of a shotgun to be Hunting Shotgun: Hunting shotguns fire larger configured for appropriate distances on the fly; a user with a cartridges than most of the other shotguns that are available, smartlink can do this automatically, while old-school users can and are favored by those who need to do a lot of damage and use a quick action to change the range of a shotgun's choke. make a statement. With a pump-action or semiautomatic firing Most shotguns are kinetic weapons, but there is a method, they are capable of shooting quickly and accurately in railgun variant. Popularly called flak cannons, these weapons a wide variety of conditions. The hunting shotgun is a two- fire a cluster of magnetic projectiles, and can have their spread handed weapon. [Moderate] adjusted similarly to a traditional shotgun. They can fire slugs, Assault Shotgun: The typical drum-fed assault but the normal railgun ammunition type restrictions apply. As shotgun is a mean looking weapon that can clear a room in an added feature, a flak cannon can fire grenades (with range seconds. Capable of being used in a variety of roles and increments equivalent to a conventional SMG). Flak cannons purposes, the assault shotgun has a reputation as a terrifying are only available in a two-handed configuration, and tend to weapon. The assault shotgun is a two-handed weapon. [High] pose a much higher risk of hull breach than their chemical Underbarrel Flak Cannon: The underbarrel flak propellant utilizing brethren. cannon provides incredible power and range compared to its Shotguns cannot be use hypervelocity rounds. traditional brethren, and maintains its larger counterpart's Shotguns lose 1d10 damage for firing at long range grenade launcher functionality, though its range is pitiful and 2d10 damage for firing at extreme range. Shotguns firing compared to bigger variants. They are commonly favored as flechette or shot suffer reduced accuracy penalties for firing at grenade launchers, as they function almost identically to their long ranges (no penalty at medium range, -10 at long, and -20 larger parent weapon when launching grenades. As with an at extreme). underbarrel shotgun, it can attach to any two-handed weapon, but requires two hands to use effectively if it is detached. Although many weapons are simply integrated into [High] each other after the Fall, underbarrel shotguns and flak cannons remain in use due to their utility and their ability to be Flak Cannon: The flak cannon has a reputation as a truly fearsome weapon. Capable of doing massive damage, the

36 flak cannon has the ability to chamber grenades or is favored for its ability to be used with materials that render it minigrenades as well as flechettes and slugs. The flak cannon less lethal. is a two-handed weapon. [Expensive] Special Shotgun Ammunition Shot, Flechette, and Chokes In addition to the standard ammunition types, Shot and flechette projectiles utilize a shotgun's shotguns can fire frag rounds (treated as slugs), which are choke to change the spread pattern of the projectiles. Modern available in regular and zap configurations. Frag rounds add smart materials mean that this can be done on the fly, both the Area (2) quality to the weapon, and their damage is manually (quick action) or automatically with a smartlink (no resisted as energy damage. Otherwise, they function like their action required). Chokes are rated for distance; starting at 0- parent rounds (either regular slugs or zap slugs). Smartlinks 10, then continuing up to 10-20, 20-30, and so forth out to the allow frag rounds to airburst, making them effective against end of Medium Range for the shotgun (shotgun pistols have swarms. Flak cannons cannot use frag rounds, as they tend to access to a 20-30 meter choke, full-length hunting shotguns disintegrate at high velocity, discharging early. [low per 100 have access to a 140-150 meter choke, and flak cannons can rounds]. emulate a 240-250 meter choke). Dragon's breath shotgun rounds turn a shotgun into A shotgun attacking a target that is closer than its an improvised flamethrower. Dragon's breath attacks gain the choke's optimal distance loses the Reliable quality. Targets Saturation 10/40 quality, lose Reliable, and are blocked with within the choke's optimal distance take normal damage from energy armor. On a critical failure on the evasion attempt, any the shotgun. Targets beyond the choke setting of the shotgun targets caught in the area catch aflame, taking 1d10 damage take 1d10 less damage from the shot, which is cumulative with that follows the usual rules for being on fire (p. 198, EP) and is shotguns' damage loss at long and extreme range. Slugs do considered a class B fire. not use the shotgun's choke. Beam Weapons Shotgun Ammunition Types Conventional beam weapons are somewhat Modern shotguns typically fire caseless ammunition disfavored on the battlefield. They are either bulky and less with flechette payloads. Flechettes cannot have modifications powerful than kinetic weapons, or become easily blocked by applied to them due to their complex shape and small size. debris. Of course, they have a number of properties that make Shot and slug projectiles are also available; slugs tend to turn them nice; they have little to no recoil, depending on whether shotguns into short range rifles (slugs decelerate more they are being fired in an atmosphere or not, and the rapidly than bullets, and shotguns have less rifling), and shot notorious plasma rifle is one of the most feared battlefield functions like flechettes, but tend to have less armor assets available to infantry. penetration. Shot is available in plastic, flux, and regular varieties, while slugs are available with the full spectrum of EMP and ER weapons are treated as beam weapons, ammunition modifications, including smart ammunition (flak but unlike lasers they are not impacted by diffusion; their cannon slugs are limited to the types of ammunition effects are spread in a cone, focused into a roughly human- appropriate for railgun ammunition). Flechette rounds are not sized pattern based on rangefinder data fed through the customizable with ammunition types. smartlink or manually calibrated by the user.

Firing a shotgun or flak cannon with slugs increases Conventional Beam Weapons its AP by 4, adds +2 to its DV, and makes it lose the Reliable Laser Rifle: This larger brother of the laser pulser quality. Additional ammunition type modifications can be sacrifices the former's nonlethal functions for a more applied on top of this, including smart ammunition if straightforward pulsed laser action akin to a traditional appropriate. firearm. Capable of doing more damage than the pulser, it is Firing a shotgun or flak cannon with shot reduces its still susceptible to dust, debris, and other things that cause AP by +4. Against unarmored targets, a positive AP value has light to diffuse. Laser rifles require two hands to use no effect. Shot is typically considered inferior to flechettes, but effectively. [High]

37 Plasma Pistol: A lighter variant of the plasma rifle, the digital subversion threats, especially TITANs. The Jovians have plasma pistol is more portable and still packs a decent punch. stockpiles of these used both for information suppression and This is a small weapon, and only requires one hand to use. as a safeguard against dreaded nanotechnological attacks. [Expensive] Since EMP weapons often function without visual Blaster: These weapons have a notorious reputation. cues, many models can be set to create either a flash of light A bastard variant of the laser rifle made popular by scum or a low-power laser beam when activated, to let users barges, these are closer to shotguns than they are to normal without enhanced vision see the shots they are firing. Some, lasers. Firing multiple beams at once, they have an appallingly though not all, EMP weapons can pull double-duty as short range, and they bleed over onto the visual spectrum microwave agonizers, causing pain, though they lack a “roast” leading to obvious flashes of light visible to even flats. setting. However, they have a brutality rarely found in beam weapons. EMP Pistol: Primarily used to subvert personal Blasters have a tendency to discharge their batteries communication equipments or as a backup for hostile entirely when fired. If their Lemon quality comes into play, the nanoswarm management, the EMP Pistol is not capable of weapon burns out the battery, necessitating an immediate attacking hardened gear, but works decently against nanites reload. Batteries burnt out in this way must be replaced; they and unhardened radios. [Moderate] no longer hold a charge. Most blasters are two-handed EMP Rifle: More powerful, EMP rifles are almost always weapons, though there are exceptions. [High] used for combat against nanoswarms. Capable of dealing • These are actually fairly effective. I know of at least significant damage to a swarm, they are also used as a one scum barge that holds competitions for building directed alternative to EMP grenades. This is a two-handed these, and there are actually awards for how flashy weapon. [High] they get. It's not something you'll usually see on the EMP Saturator: EMP saturators look like a device out battlefield, but mercs have been known to use them of twentieth-century science fiction, with an adjustable for something with punch that doesn't have the reflector dish at the end. Capable of firing in a cone, these sensitivity most lasers have to particle clouds. -Harm powerful EMP devices can tear through nanoswarms and EMP Weapons disable all but the most hardened devices. They can also be When dealing with nanoswarms, it is useful to bring focused into directed beams, for use as a long-range EMP along specialized EMP weapons that are highly effective weapon. [Expensive] against them. In addition, EMP weapons are used as a means • Don't underestimate the impact that EMP can have on to sabotage communications; they cannot disrupt optical battlefield communications. -Arvid electronics' function, but radio communications devices hit with an EMP attack are reduced to 1/10th of their normal Enhanced Radiation Weapons operating ranges (p. 341, EP). This may be prevented with the Enhanced radiation weapons are terrifying and EMP hardening upgrade, which specifies a minimum DV for an dangerous, as well as highly illegal in most places. They set off EMP weapon attack to impact the equipment. Nanoswarms radiation detectors unless they are incredibly well made, and take full damage from EMP weapons. they tend to be the tools of assassins, rather than soldiers.

EMP weapons typically are built with a Marx generator Radiation has potentially lethal effects against or vircator as their primary source of electromagnetic synthmorphs, biomorphs, and nanites, but leaves most things radiation. This allows them to use radio waves, microwaves or physically intact. In some cases, enhanced radiation weapons x-rays, though the range on the electromagnetic spectra is may be favorable due to the fact that they do not cause secondary to the EMP weapon's function of causing sudden physical damage (i.e. they won't put a hole in the habitat wall). and great levels of electromagnetic radiation very quickly. It is That said, they have their purposes; ER weapons can possible to find analogue variants of these weapons, penetrate almost any armor, and only things intentionally especially in arsenals of people who are concerned about

38 designed for radiation exposure tend to have any sort of centimeters needed to block half of the radiation. Radiation resistance against them. They will decimate nanoswarms, so shielding on armor halves incoming radiation. I've heard people argue for them as backup weapons against UV Laser: These UV lasers produce coherent beams of TITANs. energy that break down nanoswarms and microorganisms One of the advantages of ER weapons is their ability and can cause burns in unprotected tissue. Favored as an to have late-onset effects; hitting someone with a full graser alternative to EMP, because they do not interfere with array may not cause meaningful instantaneous harm other communication equipment or synthmorphs, UV lasers are as than some burns that would be unpleasant though not commonly found in biotech laboratories as they are on the particularly concerning. Minutes later, the target will be dead. battlefield. [Moderate] Synthmorphs tend to fall foul of the effects quicker, though Beta Pistol: Beta pistols use beta particles to deliver a they generally have a greater tolerance. highly radioactive burst of energy to a target, but not If you plan on entering a battlefield with ER weapons, overpenetrate and irradiate background targets. The radiation have backups—they can toast cortical stacks entirely, they carry will not be blocked by nanoswarms, however, especially once you factor in radiation. though nanoswarms will still take damage. Beta pistols are single-handed weapons. Beta pistols cause relatively minor Types of Radiation burns compared to most ER weapons. [Expensive] Radiation comes in both particle-based forms and electromagnetic forms. Particle-based radiation includes alpha Beta Rifle: Beta rifles are the larger counterparts to and beta particles, as well as neutrons and cosmic radiation. beta pistols. They will not be blocked by nanoswarms or These particles can be very dangerous, but only beta and microswarms, and do additional damage to nanoswarms like neutron radiation are frequently weaponized. Alpha particles all other radioactive weapons. Beta rifles cause more are stopped very easily by even the lightest protection, and significant burns, a tell-tale sign of exposure to radiation. cosmic radiation is too costly to justify developing into [Expensive] weapons. PER Pistol: An overall term for weapons that fire either Electromagnetic radiation, on the other hand, neutrons, X-rays, or gamma radiation that penetrate material technically encompasses the entire visual spectrum. Typically well, PER pistols cause minor burns to targets even through only x-ray and up are utilized as battlefield weapons, though armor; their high energy means that they tend to penetrate you will occasionally see UV weaponry deployed against fairly harmlessly until the effects of ARS set in. [Expensive+] biological or nanite hazards. UV weaponry is much less PER Rifle: More powerful than the PER pistol, PER rifles controlled than other radioactive weapons, as it poses less are built to disable vehicle crews or distant targets with danger to things that people typically sleeve into. debilitating radiation sickness, though they can also cause Radiation Penetration nasty, though rarely life threatening, burns. [Expensive+] With neutron, x-ray, and gamma radiation based • What you don't know is how incredibly rare these beam weapons you have a chance of causing additional weapons are compared to countermeasures against radiation effects past the original point of impact. Typically them. A hardsuit, some battlesuits, or specially radiation halves each time it passes through a certain amount adapted armor can reduce the effects of ionizing of material; depleted uranium or thorium very quickly blocks radiation, and enhanced radiation resistance is radiation, but more frequently lead or other composites are popular in many forces, more out of paranoia than used. necessity. -Rackham

Calculating radiation penetration can be done by dividing 30 by the armor rating of a material (see the “Sample Objects and Structures” table, p. 203, EP) to get the number of

39 Melee Weapons Grenade Launcher: Grenade launchers are solid mainstays of many arsenals; capable of deploying grenades Clubs over long distances with relative accuracy, they have a similar Power Sledge: The Power Sledge is built to smash form factor to rifles, with the addition of a bulky but not spacecraft hulls and other hardened surfaces. With adjustable gargantuan drum for grenades and propellant. They are able smart materials in its head and a system of weight shifts that to fire flares, smoke, and weaponized payloads equally multiply the user's swing, the power sledge is often used in effectively. [Moderate] boarding actions or to break apart ore samples when a machine to do so is unavailable. Used against morphs, it can do Grenade Machine Gun: Essentially a belt-fed grenade massive damage, but it is so heavy as to encumber its user. launcher, the GMG is an effective area denial weapon. Less [Moderate] utility-focused than the grenade launcher, GMGs are used almost exclusively with explosive payloads, though smoke or Seekers flare rounds are occasionally used. Grenade machine guns Grenade launchers and missile launchers are take a full Action Turn to reload, per the Reloading Heavy common in transhuman military arsenals; they pack heavy Weapons rule. [High] punches and are man-portable systems that are difficult to Seeker Mods supply with ammo but provide unparalleled damage potential. Minigrenade Adaptation: Minigrenade adaptation Note that unlike conventional seekers, grenades do allows for a Grenade Launcher or GMG to fire minigrenades not come with smart ammunition functions for free. instead of standard grenades. This does not impact their range or fire rate, but increases their ammunition capacity by MPMLMS: The Man Portable Multiple Launch Missile 40 percent. [Moderate] System fires multiple full-sized missiles. Similar to a disposable missile launcher, it holds four parallel launch tubes with a New Seeker Types common electronics package and firing mechanism. With Listed costs are for ten grenades/missiles. impressive range and damage output, the largest drawback of the MPMLMS is that it is very large; it negates the need to Probe: Probe seekers and grenades are nothing more reload after each individual shot, at the cost of being even than sophisticated panoramic cameras placed into military more unwieldy than a standard missile launcher. MPMLMS take hardware. When activated (either by being launched or a full Action Turn to reload, per the Reloading Heavy Weapons thrown), they send back panoramic feedback for the next rule. [High] fifteen minutes to the user and any allies that they specify. [Low] Reloadable Missile Launcher: Since it is much easier to carry loose projectiles and load them into a large launcher Flare: Flare rounds are unusual because rather than than bring multiple launchers into the field, reloadable missile having an effect on impact, they ignite shortly after leaving the launchers are the primary form of anti-tank weapons brought barrel. Flare rounds are typically discharged into the air, into combat. Not capable of the rapid or sustained fire of the though they can be pointed directly at foes to deal a moderate MPMLMS, reloadable missile launchers include guidance amount of damage, or they can be used to illuminate areas, packages and are capable of accepting a broad range of send signals, or confuse targeting systems. missiles. Reloadable missile launchers take a full Action Turn to If a character, drone, or vehicle has fired or thrown a reload, per the Reloading Heavy Weapons rule. [Moderate] flare seeker or grenade during the current Action Turn, Underbarrel Grenade Launcher: The underbarrel smartlinks and homing smart ammunition provide no bonuses grenade launcher can attach to a rifle in a similar fashion to an for attacks against that character. [Low] underbarrel seeker, but fires full-sized grenades rather than Defab: Designed to be used against hardened armor, micromissiles, trading a slower fire rate and shorter range for defab rounds do not affect synthmorphs or biomorphs by superior firepower. [Moderate] causing wounds (though they will damage both bioweave armor and synthmorphs' integrated armor), but consists of a

40 condensed package of fast acting nanites and chemical Spray Weapons capsules that burn out after only a fraction of a second but HEP Weapons weaken the chemical and physical bonds that hold armor together, reducing the armor of the target until it is repaired. High Energy Projectile weapons are a type of plasma [High] weapon that use superheated matter at low speeds to cause massive damage. With shorter ranges than their beam Rad: Rad seekers dose a whole room with a mix of weapon counterparts, HEP weapons have the advantage of beta particles and neutrons. A target hit directly with a Rad using their projectiles as coolant and having truly terrifying round suffers 40 grays (20 for minigrenades/micromissiles, anti-armor effects, though they tend to do less damage than 80 for standard missiles) of radiation exposure, while targets plasma weapons. They are reloaded with ammunition packs within five meters suffer 20 (10/40), and targets within twenty that include both a battery and a container of fluid to be meters suffer 10 (5/20). Rad seekers are incredibly rare, converted into plasma. being highly illegal almost everywhere and impossible to manufacture without materials that are not usually available to — I saw videos of these in action. These set things on fire even common citizens. [Expensive] more violently than a plasma rifle does, and they're almost as deadly. Good news: They have short range. — Until someone tells ol' Firststrike otherwise, I think these are just rumored to exist. Haven't seen a single record of any HEP Pistol: HEP pistols are light and capable of being of them being manufactured or used, and they're not like used in an off hand. Essentially a glorified plasma cutter, they strategic nuclear weapons where they're top secret. have less range than their larger counterpart, and truly miniscule ammunition packs, but still have decent damage Seeker Ammunition Mods dealing capabilities. Listed costs are to modify a batch of ten HEP Rifle: HEP rifles make up for HEP pistols' range grenades/missiles. and ammunition shortfalls, but still do not deliver quite as Self-Launching Seeker: This seeker does not require much damage as a plasma rifle. a launcher to be used in order to launch. Rather than being • The most annoying thing about HEP weapons is the launched normally, these seekers interface with the user's fact that they use proprietary ammunition; you can PAN for target selection, and are thrown like darts (they still refill the ammo packs, but the dispenser looks for use the Seeker Weapons skill). Their range is decreased to a tags to make sure you aren't cheating by using off- quarter of the normal ranges (p. 203, EP). This modification is brand stuff. Trying to do it by hand can lead to feed only available for minimissiles and micromissiles. [Moderate] system malfunctions. -Harm • Self-launching seekers may not have the appeal to the grunts that grenades or a MPMLMS, but they can Throwing Weapons put some serious hurting down when you need them Grappling Hook: When thrown so that one of the three to. We replaced grenades with them during prongs of the attached hook connects with a target, a rope microgravity operations and it worked well. -Arvid attached to this tool allows the user to climb objects or pull them closer. Most of the modern variants of the grappling hook Limpet: Limpet seekers and grenades do not detonate use smart adhesive, rather than sharpened claws, so they do on impact, rather they attach themselves to their targets and not do damage and adhere to almost any surface well enough remain anchored there until they are either forcibly removed to support even a large synthmorph, but they can be used for by damage, released, or detonated. They can double as a a redirect close combat maneuver. [Low] target designator system, negating penalties for indirect fire. Gorgon Bead: Gorgon beads are of unknown [Moderate] manufacture, and cause massive changes in the physical properties of light. Activated by a sudden impact, these devices have been mounted in bullets and seekers, but they also have the same range as minigrenades when thrown. Within a

41 twenty meter radius, light simply stops; optical electronics affected, though the kinetic gauntlets will affect things visually seize and any observer sees the same scene that they saw. obscured from the user. [Expensive (Minimum 50,000)] Gorgon beads are used for infiltration, as they can eliminate Scour Sword: If you somehow manage to find one of signals from the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Although these, send it my way. Some intrepid artifact dealer figured out the original origin of these devices are unknown, they can be a way to warp and refract the fields created by a scour ring duplicated. However, no known test for efficacy exists, and around the edge of a foot-long blade (really more of a dagger gorgon beads require access to a large particle accelerator to than a sword). The result is a weapon with almost unstoppable be created. Transhuman copies have only a ten-meter radius, cutting power which doesn't care at all about any sort of armor and a 20 percent activation rate, and are only known to be and severs limbs like a hot knife going through butter. manufactured by Stellar Intelligence and branches of the Ultimates. The effects of both types of bead last for six Since it demolishes target matter to component seconds (two combat rounds). [Expensive for originals, High atoms, scour swords largely disregard armor, weapons used for copies] to block them, or the morphs that they are inevitably used against. Likewise, they can create hull breaches on spaceships — These cause seizure-like effects in cyberbrains and or habitats with less than a foot of matter separating them seriously disorient drones; anything flying goes down. The from vacuum with very little effort. If a habitat knows about Ultimates manufacture them for rajput, since they're effective scour swords, they are likely banned. against TITAN hardware. A critical hit with a scour sword causes a wound Exotic Weapons immediately. [Expensive (Minimum 30,000)] Exotic Melee Weapons Exotic Ranged Weapons Kinetic Gauntlets: An alien or TITAN artifact with Grappling Gun: This pistol-version of the grappling unknown relationships to the Casimir force. Shaped like long hook has longer ranges, but due to its unique ballistic cylinders with two open ends, they are not quite shaped for properties requires training separate from other kinetic human forearms, but can be adapted for wear by adding weapons. It supports automatic retract functionality, adding a cushions and straps. The final rig usually extends beyond the +10 bonus to any redirect close combat maneuvers attempted user's hands, limiting their ability to manipulate other objects. and allowing the user to skip using an Athletics check to climb Objects within the generated field are moved by aligning the the rope, as well as speeding up the rate at which the weapon paired gauntlets and extending one or the other. Studies of the can be refired. While all grappling guns come with a hook and few known specimens of kinetic gauntlets have revealed cable, most can detach the hook, allowing for the cable to be nothing about their nature and mechanics. Kinetic gauntlets retracted even if the projectile becomes lodged in a surface. are similar to fixors, though their ability to exert force on Grappling gun hooks are equivalent to arrows and bolts. outside elements poses a significantly greater threat. [Moderate] Users of kinetic gauntlets can make a number of Targun: Targuns fire dense liquid capsules at targets. attacks, crushing their target with pure force or flinging them On impact, the capsules rupturing, coating surfaces and about like a bug in a tin can being shaken by a wrathful fury. impeding movement. A morph or drone hit with a targun loses More frightening for warriors is the ability of a kinetic gauntlet movement speed (1/5) each time they are hit, and must make to affect a ten-by-ten-by-ten meter volume. Use of kinetic a Flight or Pilot skill test to avoid crashing if they are flying. gauntlets is particularly effective at smashing swarms, which Targuns double as an EMP weapon, though this is due to the they seem almost purpose designed to do. The area of effect properties of the “tar” they fire, which is available in a variety of a Kinetic Gauntlet attack forms a cube placed directly in front of colors and with various properties and blocks of the user (they cannot inadvertently harm themselves). It electromagnetic radiation. Blobs of targun ammunition remain respects large, heavy objects with a mass of more than 2700 on a target for several hours unless removed with a special kilograms, though they will still be crushed if caught in the way. agent (included with the ammunition), or being Items on the other side of walls, floors, or ceilings are not activated/deactivated remotely (a quick action). [High]

42 Regular Targun Ammunition: Regular targun retract parts to decrease size or be disassembled. ammunition has the standard immobilizing and signal blocking Disassembling a bow takes two complex actions, and unless features. It is typically black. [Trivial per 10 capsules] stated all bows can be disassembled (smartbows “disassemble” themselves once ordered to, requiring no Incendiary Targun Ammunition: This targun additional effort). ammunition can be activated via a mesh signal once it has been primed by the chamber of a targun. It lights the target on Arrows, however, tend to carry a meaner payload fire as if the weapon had the Flaming (2d10) quality, and had than firearms do. Able to be equipped with everything from full achieved the necessary successes to do so. It typically comes sized nanite hives to minigrenades, archery can be a clever in a bright red color. [Moderate per 10 capsules] way to deliver payloads without detection. Bows lack the same firing signature that firearms and energy weapons have, Explosive Targun Ammunition: Typically used for making them stealthy without the need for (often illegal and demolitions work, and not combat use, explosive targun only marginally effective) silencers and flash suppressors. In ammunition can be detonated, functioning as a 5 Yield addition, arrows or bolts dipped in an injection-vector toxin can Incendiary explosive (plus an additional 2 Yield for each apply it to their target, so long as the projectile does at least subsequent blob attached to the target). Explosive targun one point of damage when it hits. ammunition is typically bright yellow. [High per 10 capsules] It is a quick action to grab an arrow and draw a bow, Scrapper's Gel Targun Ammunition: This combines the and a complex action to reload a crossbow with more bolts. targun's immobilization capabilities with a powerful acid. This Defenders being attacked with archery weapons use their full does 1d10+5 damage (plus an additional 5 per each Fray score to dodge, as if they were being attacked in melee. subsequent blob on target), damaging armor before hurting a target morph or object. Scrapper's Gel targun ammunition is Archery is a new skill for Eclipse Phase; it can be typically bright green. [Moderate per 10 capsules] represented using a single “Exotic Ranged Weapons: Archery” skill for all bows and crossbows, though crossbows with a Rad Targun Ammunition: This targun ammunition smartlink may use the Kinetic Weapons skill instead. unleashes a devastating dose of radiation when activated. This is equal to about 20 grays, plus an additional 10 for each Bow: Bows are available in a number of different subsequent blob. Rad targun ammo typically is reflective like a configurations, including smartbows and compound bows that mirror. [Expensive per 10 capsules] would make turn-of-the-century warriors very jealous. That said, a run of the mill bow is cheap and easy to fabricate, even Archery in habitats with more tough arms restrictions. [Trivial Archery is a tried and true martial discipline, often (unfinished parts), low (assembled bow)] overlooked. The bow and crossbow are simple designs that can be made in a pinch with readily available materials, and Compound Bow: Compound bows use advanced with smart materials and clever designs you can composite materials and manufacturing techniques to create a nanofabricate a bow that would make Odysseus look like a set of pulleys and simple mechanisms to allow a user to slouch. leverage their strength and fire arrows with a surprising amount of force behind them. [Low] Archery is a little difficult, though. You will want a smartlink on your bows to help you adjust to environmental Smartbow: Smartbows use smart materials to factors, and the motions are different enough that you need to transform from an inconspicuous cylinder into a moderately learn archery as a separate skill. Bows tend to fare poorly sized bow; somewhat shorter in length than a normal bow, against modern armor, and they're not as good at putting they have just enough complexity to perform similarly. They holes in things as a firearm. In addition, most bows are pretty are integrated with a smartlink by default, and are subject to large; a compound bow can be more than five feet long, easily more legal controls than other bows. [Moderate] matching a sniper rifle in dimensions. Smartbows and advanced bows may have mechanisms to allow them to either

43 • One of my squads reported someone smuggling one from the bow rather than being thrown and detonates of these into a secure location by disguising it as normally after being fired. minigrenade arrows do not support toothpaste. The arrows gave them away. the biter smart ammunition enhancement, though they do support limpet seeker enhancements (these are applied to the Automatic Bow: A cross between a bow and minigrenade, not the arrow itself). [Trivial] crossbow, the automatic bow is a compound bow with a self- powered mechanism that allows it to emulate the effects of Reactive: Typically simple incendiaries rather than being fired by a stronger morph, even if the user is not reactive weapons in the truest sense of the word, these particularly strong. The limbs of the bow partially retract when arrows have a specialized tip containing flammable and low the bow is not in use, giving it the same carrying profile as a explosive materials and an ignition striker. [Moderate] carbine. [Moderate] Regular: Regular arrows are common among Crossbow: Crossbows have the unique ability to sportsmen and enthusiast archers. They are rarely used in function as kinetic weapons with the aid of a smartlink. combat, but are plentifully available and rarely subject to legal Crossbows come in both automatic and manual forms. Manual control. [Trivial] crossbows leverage a transhuman's strength, and are Smartbarb: The superior cousin of barbed arrows, generally built with adjustable poundage to let anyone use smartbarb arrows have the normal barbs, but they only them without too much exertion, while automatic crossbows expand once the arrow has come to rest in a target. They still require either a token effort or will cock themselves without suffer some limitations to their armor penetration, but are any effort on the user's behalf. Crossbows fire bolts that are generally superior to barbed arrows. [Low] functionally similar to arrows (but are not interchangeable), and may be attached to a magazine for rapid shots. [Low Thunderstrike: Officially built to hunt xenofauna, (manual), Moderate (automatic)] thunderstrike ammunition is capable of delivering a debilitating shock that does 2d10 damage in addition to regular arrow • I've seen these used by insurgents as a stealth damage and an incapacitating shock attack. [Moderate] weapon. They work well, but they're still pitiful against modern armor. -Harm Rajput Weapons Arrow and Bolt Types The following weapons are built to counter TITAN Costs listed are for 100 arrows or bolts. minigrenade forces and are part of the arsenal of the elite Ultimates TITAN- bolts can only be used in conjunction with a minigrenade, hunters, the rajput, or other anti-TITAN forces. Some of these which must be purchased separately. Most arrows can be weapons have seen wider adoption, while many remain upgraded into any type of smart ammunition, except for the exclusive to the forces that adopted them. airburst and limpet types. Doru: The doru is the only projectile spray weapon AP: Built with a smaller head and a better force known to be built in an analogue configuration, and has a delivery vessel, AP arrows are built to partially penetrate number of interesting features. Although it is a spray weapon, armored material by reaching a needle thin point. Although it can only fire a handful of projectiles at a time. A one-handed they are small, they can still carry a toxin dose like regular weapon in concept only, the doru includes an arm brace that arrows. [Low] essentially allows the carbine-sized doru to be used single- handed by those familiar with it. Barbed: These arrows are generally considered obsolete and primitive, as any body armor can negate much of Theoretically closer akin to a shredder than anything their effect. They are still manufactured and occasionally used else, the doru sacrifices fire rate for a second feature; its as assassin's tools against targets that are known to be diamond shards have prisms that reflect EMP pulses fired from unarmored. [Trivial] the weapon, allowing it to be just as effective against nanoswarms as it is against synthetic and biological targets. Minigrenade: This arrow type supports the [Expensive] attachment of any minigrenade, which is treated as being fired

44 Sarissa: The sarissa is a high caliber bullpup battle down nanoswarms and pathogens that it encounters. The rifle derivative, but is designed for long-term use. Intended for APEX nanosuit cannot be used with smart material based use in intense combat against unyielding foes, it features a armor, which is often attacked by its nanoswarms, though it massive helical pan magazine, which holds almost eighty can be worn under conventional armor. bullets. The weapon has internal storage for another hundred Despite being moderately effective against exsurgent twenty rounds, but these must be loaded into a magazine prior virus, the APEX nanosuit failed to receive traction; it provides to use. Built to fire cased or modified caseless rounds, it is not relatively lousy protection and makes it impossible to wear an ambidextrous weapon; its shell ejection can be redirected, modern combat armor, lacks exemptions for friendly allowing users with inappropriate handedness to use the nanoswarms, and provided too little protection from the weapon, or shells can be ejected into the weapon's internal TITANs' nanoswarms. However, the APEX nanosuit performed storage if space permits. It is preferred to simply manufacture well where contact could be minimized. [Expensive (Minimum a version with the intended user in mind. The sarissa also 20,000)] holds a cache of medical supplies, including a nanobandage impregnated with a guardian nanoswarm. The Sarissa's over- New Armor Mods barrel mounting rail can be equipped with an adapter to allow Radiation Shielding: Standard issue for hardsuits, both optics and an "underbarrel" weapon to be used at the radiation shielding reduces incoming radiation-based attacks' same time. [Expensive] radiation effects and damage by fifty percent, effectively Amentum: The amentum is a new twist on an old halving the effect of the Radioactive weapon trait. [High] technology. As wireless communications and digital scanners • This is cheaper than the morph that it will protect. I put can be spoofed, the amentum is a wire-guided missile with it on most of my armor when I go into combat. -Harm user-operated controls. Any type of missile can be manufactured for use in an amentum platform, though they New Augmentations cannot have smart missile qualities. Missiles fired from an Warriors use a vast variety of augmentations, but amentum may be treated as if they have the airburst quality, there's a number of things that I have seen on the battlefield however, as they can be manually detonated mid-flight. The that you need to be aware of. Some high-end augmentations signals sent through an amentum are optical, carried over a are available exclusively for combat, and you should know fiber optics bundle, but the systems are entirely built on about them before you go onto a battlefield where you might analogue functionality. The amentum platform is built to be a tangle with them. rapidly reloaded soft-launch system, so that it can be used in almost any situation against a variety of targets. [Expensive] Bioware Whiplash Tendril: The Whiplash Tendril is a unique New Armor transgenic augmentation that lets you reach out and touch APEX Nanosuit: APEX nanosuits first saw use during someone on the other side of a room. Capable of extending ten the Fall. Built of a mix of analogue components and meters in less than a quarter of a second, whiplash tendrils nanotechnology, the nanosuit has a quasi-organic appearance are made of a tension tolerant myomer that is highly flexible of fullerene bundles maintained by a host of nanites. The APEX and durable. Barring the potential applications for Asyncs, nanosuit is capable of repairing itself quickly, and is built to Whiplash Tendrils are capable of both making basic unarmed withstand nanoswarms by countering them with the user's attacks at a distance (including touch only attacks, with the own guardian nanites. Using a cocktail of nanowarfare bonus those bring), and redirect close combat maneuvers. It systems, they are able to provide a degree of immunity uses its own Exotic Melee Weapon skill. [Moderate] against nanoplague infection; they do a massive 2d10 damage to any nanoswarm that they come into contact with each — The practical combat use of this one is kinda low, compared combat round that they are in contact. This compound to some of the other things here. If you see one of these nanoswarm has a Durability of 200 (due to being issued from deployed, I'd be on the lookout for psi activity, since it sounds multiple hives), and a range of 20 meters; it actively hunts like it'd be great for an async.

45 Glow Glands: A cheaper alternative to radiation sense • Basically, it's an industrial equivalent of eelware, sans augmentations, glow glands trigger when exposed to enough the shock capability. -Harm radiation to cause acute radiation sickness. Glow glands emit Enhanced Cortical Stack: The size of a baseball, green light when exposed to enough radiation for minor enhanced cortical stacks are much more durable than the radiation sickness, yellow light for major radiation sickness, standard cortical stack, but require more effort to remove. red light for critical radiation sickness, and purple light for Enhanced cortical stacks take two minutes, rather than one extreme radiation sickness, and are typically implanted in the minute, to remove, and the Medicine test to remove them does neck or other region where they are likely to be visible. not gain a bonus. They are also much more difficult to store Glow glands trigger immediately after exposure to and transfer due to their size. radiation, and they continue glowing for a day to a week after In exchange, enhanced cortical stacks have an Armor initial exposure. They can be used multiple times. of 30 and Durability of 40, and are hardened against radiation. Despite the Jovians' bioconservative nature, glow They also have a data transfer cutoff, so that once the central glands are common in Jovian space as a second-tier warning nervous system (or digital equivalent) of the host ceases to system for radiation hazards, though cybernetic versions are function the contents of the stack cannot be overwritten. The favored over the bioware system. Alternatively, glow glands ego can still be retrieved normally. This process can only be can be worn as a high-tech alternative to film badges. Since prevented by resleeving using an ego bridge. [High] most Jovians do not have even basic biomods, the Jovian Mjölnir System: The Mjölnir system is intended to give models are set to half the thresholds for radiation exposure morphs an advantage in speed and maneuvering. Using a that most biomorphs have, which has become almost the series of physical reinforcement points the Mjölnir system standard setting for glow glands. [Trivial] integrates a number of boosters (typically some sort of jet • This implant serves as a proverbial canary in the coal boosters) with vectored thrust. The end result is to allow the mine that is a radiation-heavy battlefield. The problem user to “jump” a distance of about fifty meters (any direction) is that the only possible outcome is your troops in a 1.0 g environment, or significantly further in microgravity dropping dead in a few hours. My advice is to get a and low-gravity environments. The thrusters in a Mjölnir model that pings central command with a notice of system are built to safely direct the exhaust, often using exposure. They're the same price, and you don't have magnetic containment and plasma jets. Using a Mjölnir system to listen to people blubber after they've gone purple. is a complex action. -Arvid Mjölnir systems also have combat functionality: Cyberware making a melee attack from a distance. Mjölnir systems Daedalus Discharger: Daedalus discharger cyberware function as a smartlinked weapon, using a special Exotic Melee is designed to provide rapid bursts of power for cybernetic Weapon skill. A successful hit causes 3d10 + (SOM ÷ 5) augmentations or robotic enhancements that require a power damage. If the user decides not to make an attack in this source, as well as allow users to power energy weapons and manner, the Mjölnir system can slow them to safe speeds railguns without requiring an external source. instead. Attacking an object that can't be knocked back (like a bulkhead) inflicts 2d10 damage on the user, but does an Daedalus dischargers have integrated nuclear additional 1d10 damage to the target. batteries, capacitors, and traditional batteries that allow them to output about four kilowatts (80 energy weapon shots an The Mjölnir system requires a power source; either hour), and store five times that amount in rapid discharge connection to a recharging station or a nuclear battery can batteries. This power output allows them to serve as a suffice. The charging process requires about an hour. Wireless valuable tool for users of power-hungry gear, especially those recharging is possible, where such facilities are available, but operating in environments where recharging facilities are not the process takes eight hours. It is possible to store a nuclear available. [Expensive] battery indefinitely in the augmentation, allowing for regular

46 usage. [Expensive; High if a morph already includes Thrust Robotic Enhancements Vector movement] Damage Control System: Available in three ratings, the • These were designed for boarding operations by the Damage Control System allows synthmorphs and drones to be Planetary Consortium. They didn't get adopted built with passive and active damage mitigation components, because of their expense, but they passed all the such as crumple zones, redundancy, fire suppression tests. -Arvid systems, and self-repairing parts. Available at three levels, DCS-I, DCS-II, and DCS-III, this enhancement provides superior • This is my first time hearing about anything like this, battlefield staying power. DCS-I can be equipped on any and usually I'd find out about it. With a name like synthmorph, and increase the Wound Threshold (but not Mjölnir, I'd think it was Titanian. -Rackham Death Rating or Durability) of that morph by 1. DCS-II provides a Inferno System: The inferno system started as a 2 point increase to the Wound Threshold of a normal or larger nanowar tool; it allows a morph to project jets of flame to synthmorph, while DCS-III provides a 4-point Wound Threshold ensure complete saturation of a nearby area. Any increase for large or very large synthmorphs. nanoswarms currently attacking the user would be heavily Internal Fusion Plant: Designed for Large or larger damaged, if not outright destroyed. morphs, an internal He-3 fusion plant can be used to provide The Inferno System may be activated as a complex nigh-unlimited power to a morph without the need for nuclear action. When activated, the Inferno System does 2d10 points of batteries or other fuel sources. However, although fusion damage to the user (resisted by energy armor), and 1d10 creates largely inert byproducts, the reactor core itself points of damage to anything within 5 meters. This damage is becomes highly radioactive during use, requiring a second doubled against swarms. The user may also designate two layer of shielding and making overly miniaturized reactors targets within ten meters, making a Spray Weapons skill test impractical. to attack them as if using a smartlinked Torch (3d10 damage, A synthmorph or robot with an internal fusion plant AP -4, Flame 2d10). can charge energy weapons, devices, and batteries rapidly. In In an environment with “air” (breathable or not), the addition, any augmentations that require power can be inferno system superheats the air to achieve its effect, and operated on the power from the fusion plant, rather than only requires power. A nuclear battery takes thirty minutes to internal batteries. This removes the need to allow batteries to recharge the system, and wireless charging takes four hours. recharge these augmentations, though at the GM's discretion Otherwise, the system includes gas canisters that store they may take some time to recover between uses. Although enough air for a couple shots; these refill automatically when fusion reactions shut down harmlessly if the reactor is exposed to air. [Expensive] breached, many habitats find the prospect of transhumans and robots walking around with both the ability to power large Nanoware energy weapon arsenals and expose bystanders to Jackglue: A favorite of the paranoid or those who like radioactive material troublesome; this implant is restricted in to be absolutely secure, jackglue is able to be applied to many habitats. [Expensive (Minimum 40,000)] cyberbrain or other digital access ports. More advanced than Mesh Insert Disconnect: Used in cyberbrains that are its name implies, Jackglue creates a diamond-like surface that expected to see combat use, mesh insert disconnect systems is nigh-impentrable. The user can have the surface removed allow for the cyberbrain to be shut off from mesh inserts in so that they can use access jacks, a process that takes about case of suspected hacking or other concerns. Of course, this fifteen minutes. They can also have the nanites permanently shuts down their PAN, making it impossible to use things like scour the access ports, which requires them to be repaired smartlinks wirelessly; skinlink and other direct wired contacts prior to use. [Moderate] are rerouted directly to the cyberbrain through a secondary • Grunts are paranoid. Sometimes it's worth a “mesh” insert without wireless capabilities. While mesh thousand credits to shut them up. -Arvid inserts can simply be turned off, this allows for compromised

47 mesh inserts to be disabled, rather than leaving them in any objects pulled by the maghook from traveling at speeds contact with the cyberbrain. [Low] greater than twenty meters per second toward the user (or vice versa). Maghooks can operate for about fifteen to thirty • These don't really work so well. On paper they're minutes of acceleration; if used sparsely during EVA they can flimsy, and in practice I've never seen anyone activate function indefinitely with a nuclear battery. [Moderate] one of these in the window of time between a mesh insert hack and a cyberbrain hack. If anything, they CBRNN Suit: These suits are smart alloy, vacuum- give a sense of false security, but they're popular with sealed, counter-nanite shells capable of being made for a the grunts. -Rackham variety of morphs. Although they are made of self-sealing smart-material, they have limited form adjustment capabilies Military Hardware since there are multiple layers of material, not all of which are Battlefield Observer System: Battlefield observer capable of being radically formed into different shapes. CBRNN systems contain a cutting edge AI, powerful encryption and suits are environmentally sealed. security software, and displays (though they can also route CBRNN suits incorporate Fireproofing, an directly to users' entoptic devices) that allow commanders and Immunogenic System, Lotus Coating, and Shock Proofing (p. strategists to monitor the battlefield. Most BOS units fold or 313, EP), a Guardian Nanoswarm (p. 329, EP), a Stasis Module disassemble into boxes that are the size of a large suitcase. (p. 191, Rimward), a BDU (p. 157, Gatecrashing), an integrated When used with helmet cameras, probes, robots, and Faraday suit with its opaque face plate separated from the other means of information gathering and retrieval, they environmental seal (p. 158, Gatecrashing), a Life Support Pack provide commanders with a near-perfect view of the entire (p. 159, Gatecrashing) and Radiation Shielding. The BDU can be battlefield, allowing them to order units coherently. ordered to attack nanoswarms as well as alien life. Otherwise, it resembles a heavier Smart Vacsuit that can restore a seal BOS units integrate their own radio (though other within seconds after any breach, and with effectively communications sources may be attached), with a hardened instantaneous resealing after hits that inflict fewer than 20 EMP resistance rating of 25. They have a range of 250 points of damage. [Expensive +] kilometers (25 in urban areas).

Another advantage the BOS provides is to allow Robots and Vehicles observers to use their own Perception to search for hidden Exoskeletons threats on the battlefield, with a +10 bonus for each person Cavalry Battlesuit: The cavalry battlesuit is a modified observing the same scene. [High] version of the standard battlesuit exoskeleton. Lighter and Survival Gear more mobile, it permits its user to wear full armor underneath, but many of a standard battlesuits' functions are relegated to Maghook: This simple tool allows the user to the user's personal armor; anything short of a hardsuit may magnetically connect to a surface; the maghook can be set to be worn without issue. The cavalry battlesuit has limited calculate desired distance and keep the user from drifting too ballistic protection, but provide decent protection against far from the target, or pull them rapidly toward a selected energy weapons, providing an Armor Value of 15/9. Like target. A maghook can be attached to the user's belt, and can battlesuits, cavalry battlesuits are entirely sealed, and protect use the user's PAN or a dedicated aiming tool to select anchor the wearer from environmental factors and temperatures points. from -175 to 140 C, though they do not provide strength A maghook can be used to retrieve light magnetic bonuses. Cavalry battlesuit helmets are equipped with an ecto, objects, but is usually used for personal mobility in a radio booster, and sensors equivalent to specs, and the suit microgravity; it can accelerate a standard human-sized morph contains life support features and a maker, allowing the user (50-100kg) toward the target at ten meters per second, or to survive with 48 hours of recycled air and indefinite food and larger morphs at significantly slower speed. It has about a water recycling. Cavalry battlesuits include ionic thrust packs, forty meter effective range, and has safety cutoffs to prevent capable of propelling their users through the air at high speeds

48 for an extended period of time, though they have been known died during the Fall, and they made it offworld with no to fail when the battlesuit takes damage in battle. [Expensive, problems. -Rackham Minimum 50,000] Enhancements: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Robots Stack, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Smell, Neurachem 1, Nanocase: The nanocase is a box roughly two by two Enhanced Vision, Echolocation, Polarized Vision, Eidetic by four meters in volume, loosely resembling a coffin with Memory, Chameleon Skin, Clean Metabolism, Grip Pad, Eelware, vectored flight capabilities. Capable of being called in for Medichines, Oracles, Respirocites, Skinlink, High-G Adaptation, battlefield triage, it can be loaded with supplies, but is usually Toxin Filter, Temperature Adaption (Improved Cold) used to retrieve heads of heavily injured biomorphs for Mobility System: 4/20 transport to a healing vat. Aptitude Maximum: 30 Capable of automatically responding to Speed Modifier: +1 (Neurachem 1) nanobandages' distress signals, the nanocase is armored and can also be called manually; each nanocase can typically hold Durability: 60 (50 + 5 from high-g adaptation + 5 from at least eight heads, though this depends slightly on the respirocytes) morph being used. Most nanocases have dedicated storage Wound Threshold: 12 for cortical stacks. Advantages: +5 REF, +5 COO, Pain Tolerance I, +10 Freerunning It is considered a war crime (or at least very or Free Fall, +10 Infiltration, Climbing, and Swimming distasteful) to damage, destroy, or hijack a nanocase. [High] CP Cost: 45 • Note to newbies: Remove helmet, then use the hacksaw. You can put the helmeted head in, but it will Cost: Expensive (60,000 minimum) reduce the storage capacity. -Harm Synthmorphs New Morphs Flea: The Flea is a light infiltrator drone modified for The following morphs were created using the use by transhumans. Capable of ionic flight and stealth Alternate Morph Creation System, new rules for creating capabilities, the Flea is small enough to fit in almost anywhere, morphs loosely based off of those included in Transhuman. but still can be used in a fight should there be a need. They are primarily oriented around designs made for combat Enhancements: Cyberbrain, Cortical Stack, Puppet Sock, use, though a few of the designs have seen their way into Mnemonic Augmentation, Basic Mesh Inserts, Enhanced Vision, limited civilian use. Chameleon Skin, Reduced Signature, 360 Degree Vision, Biomorphs Nanoscopic Vision, Lidar, Radar, T-Ray Emitter, Medichines, and Oracles. Rabbit: Unnatural looking, the rabbit (sometimes called elf) morph is built around the concept of creating a fast, Mobility System: Ionic 8/40 durable, and perceptive scout that can be deployed into almost Aptitude Maximum: 25 any environment. Renowned as a light scout biomorph, rabbits have distinctive heads and bodies that differ from the Durability: 30 transhuman pattern enough to be easily distinguishable, with Wound Threshold: 6 built in camouflage and espionage augmentations. Due to their lagomorphic or abhuman looks, rabbit or elf morphs are Advantages: Armor 2/2, +5 to one aptitude of user's choice. favored by some civilians who prefer their exotic forms. Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Clanking Masses)

• These are solid morphs. They look newer than they CP Cost: 15 are; I had some scouts sleeved in these during the Fall, and they all came back in one piece. Hell, I nearly Credit Cost: Expensive (Minimum 20,000)

49 Phoenix: The Phoenix morph is used in combat and New Mechanics infiltration roles or as a last-ditch defender. Built to take a beating and then self-destruct, the Phoenix is intended to be Demolitions able to participate in suicide assaults, but it is occasionally Demolitions can be carried out using custom-made used as a mainline combat morph. explosives and charges, but many standard-issue explosives, such as smartmines and breaching charges, have been Enhancements: Cyberbrain, Access Jacks, Puppet Sock, Basic created to provide reliable damage and increased uniformity Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Heavy Combat Armor (with for combat operations. Fireproofing and Lotus Coating), Inferno System, Emergency Farcaster Improvised and Military Explosives Mobility System: 4/20 The existing demolitions rules (p. 197, EP) provide rules for creating improvised explosive devices. These Aptitude Maximum: 30 weapons require demolitions skill checks to create and place, Durability: 50 and do damage as a result of a dice roll. Military explosives involve carefully measured quantities of explosives and Wound Threshold: 10 complex electronic systems not available to amateurs. They Advantages: Armor 16/16 (32/32 with Heavy Combat Armor), have three main zones of effect: the kill zone, the maim zone, +5 to one attribute of the user's choice. and the injury zone. These are proportional to the extent at which the blast has lost almost none of its force (typically very CP Cost: 45 small for light bombs), then to the extent at which the blast has Credit Cost: Expensive (Minimum 50,000) lost around half of its force, then to the extent to which a blast has lost most of its force. Grim: The Grim is a light assault morph intended for easy insertion. Although it stands six feet tall, the grim is Each of a detonation's zones should be considered to incredibly small due to its spindly limbs and retractable be discs (or spheres) expanding out from the same origin. If a components. blast occurs in an enclosed space with walls durable enough to at least partially contain the blast, then the distance to which Enhancements: Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentations, Puppet the zone extends increases dramatically. If the entirety of a Sock, Cortical Stack, Basic Mesh Inserts, Radar Absorbent, blast zone cannot find its way into open space (for instance, if Chameloen Skin, Telescoping Limbs, Echolocation, Grip Pads, a bomb goes off inside a small habitat), then it is considered to Medichines. fill all available space with a higher zone (so if the injury zone Mobility System: Walker 4/20 cannot fit into the space, the whole space is considered a Aptitude Maximum: 20 maim zone, if the maim zone cannot fit into the space, the whole zone is considered a kill zone). Kill zones cannot be Durability: 20 upgraded in this manner, and will only ever cause damage Wound Threshold: 4 equal to the device's effective yield.

Advantages: Armor 10/10, +5 to one attribute of the user's Most explosives used in Eclipse Phase are plastic choice. explosives, which can be molded and separated by hand, allowing for optimal versatility in small bombs without Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) requiring tools to craft the finished bomb. However, explosives CP Cost: 10 can also be procured as liquids, foams, gasses, powders, or blocks. Liquid, powder, and gas explosives may be purchased Credit Cost: High binary component explosives, which are inert until mixed together, for an added degree of safety.

50 — While it may not sound important, the form factor important. Some chemicals used in explosives react more of your explosive determines how useful it is, and where you impressively than others, meaning that a smaller volume of can use it. Foam explosives can be placed almost anywhere explosive is more energetic and can cause more damage. Each without needing additional adhesives, for instance. grade of explosives is more difficult to fabricate as it becomes more energetic, and ways to subtly manufacture high-grade Types of Explosive explosives are limited. Some explosive types also have a Improvised explosive devices almost always attack a maximum yield; bombs cannot do more damage than their target's energy armor, but there are several different ways maximum yield permits, though their blast radius is calculated that military explosives can target armor, depending on the regardless of this. expected uses of the weapon. Most bombs are assumed to function as hybrids, as explosive agents tend to Low grade explosives typically burn rather than explode. Under certain conditions, however, they will explode, Incendiary/Thermal explosives focus on creating allowing their use in a number of demolitions applications. intense heat; they will cause materials to catch fire either by While not safe to work with, they are often used in situations chemical agent or by exposure to massive amounts of where you do not necessarily want to blow objects to pieces. electromagnetic radiation. They can be used in both vacuum This includes things like thermite and gunpowder, as well as and in places with environmental pressure. Most incendiary metal powders, natural gas, and the like. These are often used explosives are hot enough to cause serious harm to hardened as fuels or propellants, and may be available without any synthmorphs and vehicles, and are resisted using energy fabrication controls (particularly large quantities may raise armor. alarms, however).

Blast explosives cause a massive rupturing force. Common grade explosives include the high- Functioning via shockwaves, they can be very devastating, but performance firearms propellant used in most firearms, as do not work in vacuum unless attached directly to the target well as some of the earlier forms of explosive materials, such (they have no effective blast radius unless they can push as nitroglycerin. Easily manufactured, most of these materials something). These blasts cause damage to the defender's are controlled, though many can be made from uncontrolled lowest armor. Although they do not cause fires like incendiary household materials. Common grade explosives come in any or flash explosives, concussion and shock explosives often form factor. cause high temperatures, either as a result of friction between objects or the detonation process itself. These explosives are Commercial grade explosives are controlled, but used resisted with the defender's lowest armor rating. in demolitions or excavation work. These include some plastic explosives, foam explosives, and liquid explosives, many of Fragmentary/Penetrator explosives augment a blast which contain common explosives with some additional by placing projectiles directly into an explosive charge. components to add a little more kick. Most missiles and Fragmentary explosives are available for anti-infantry use, grenades use commercial grade explosives as their payloads. while shaped charges with penetrators can be devastating against hardened targets, such as vehicles. These explosives Military grade explosives are highly controlled or are resisted with kinetic armor, and are as effective in vacuum outright illegal. These explosives are massively powerful, with as they are in pressurized environments. the potential to outright destroy habitats. These substances are highly complex, but have great energy per mass compared Hybrid explosives combine multiple different types of to most other explosives, making them ideal for causing minor operation; they are able to be used in any environment and are sabotage and massive damage alike. capable of functioning in both vacuum and pressurized environments. Experimental explosives are a step above military grade components. Built by TITANs, cutting-edge researchers, Explosive Grades and others with a dubious amount of survival instinct, The types of explosives being used matter in the experimental explosives include antimatter-doped bombs, creation of a bomb, but the grade of the explosive is also

51 energetic metamaterials unknown to the general public, and proprietary manufacturing techniques and can be particularly nuclear weapons, which have a very high yield to mass ratio. dangerous if assembled improperly. No automated hardware exists that can create these, and there are few people willing Fabricating explosives from raw chemical to discuss the proper methods for making them. components is possible. At the time of creation, both the desired grade and type of explosive must be determined (e.g. Nanofabrication and Explosives “low hybrid” or “military fragmentary”. Nanofabricating explosives is a less time consuming Low and common explosives can be fabricated with task than creating them by hand, and less risky as well. almost no specialized machinery or blueprints. Even in places Fabricators have built in diagnosis and analysis tools that where the manufacture of these compounds are controlled, ensure the consistency of the final product, and generally the process of combining these chemicals requires little more function fine without transhuman intervention. Building an than a hobbyist chemistry set, which can be improvised with explosive for which the blueprint or chemical composition is almost any heating unit and containers. This takes about 1 known does not require any skill test, unless the hour per 5 points of Yield in the desired bomb (see p. 197, EP, nanofabrication tools need to be cracked or the hardware has for more on explosives), and costs a tenth of the normal cost been sabotaged. of purchasing the compounds. A critical failure causes A maker builds explosives at half the speed of a premature detonation of the compound as it is being created. fabber, which builds explosives at half the speed of a desktop High end makers, and more advanced fabrication devices, can cornucopia machine. Low or common explosives made on a create low and common explosives. desktop cornucopia machine can be created at the rate of 20 Commercial explosives can be fabricated on high-end Yield per hour, for example. nanofabrication hardware and in chemistry laboratories. Some Note that many polities have placed restrictions on commercial explosives can also be created by genetically the use of nanofabrication hardware for the creation of modified bacteria. A character fabricating commercial explosives, and many manufacturers integrate their own explosives with a fabber or by hand with a chemistry set can safeguards against the creation of explosives. Since the produce a batch of 10 points of Yield worth of explosives in an chemical profiles of any explosives being created are likely hour, at a Trivial cost for each batch. A critical failure on the known to both manufacturers and law enforcement, these production roll results in either immediate detonation, greatly restrictions may be impossible to avoid due to hardware increased potency, or greatly decreased potency, depending limitations, and will at the least require an incredibly difficult on which would tend to be worse. Commercial explosives attempt to spoof the protection. require a fabber or better to create using nanofabrication, and require a non-improvised chemistry kit to manufacture by Designing Explosives hand. Explosives' effects can be measured in three ways: Yield, Effective Area, and Armor Resistance. Military grade explosives are difficult to make, with highly controlled blueprints and complex chemical Yield is measured in terms of the raw damage output combinations. They can only be printed off of a desktop of an explosive. High-yield explosives are either much larger or cornucopia machine or made by skilled chemists in much more energetic than their counterparts, and can cause laboratories or industrial production facilities. It takes one hour major damage to combatants and structures, while low-yield per ten points of Yield desired to create these compounds, and explosives are either smaller or less energetic, and are less the raw materials have a Low cost. A critical failure on the likely to cause serious damage. Bombs' Yield is measured in fabrication roll causes immediate detonation or greatly multiples of 5; this is the amount of damage it will do to a underpowered explosives. morph caught in the device's kill zone.

Experimental explosives are nigh-impossible to Yield is lowered to three fifths of a bomb's original create, and require specialized compounds. Even if these base value in the maim zone of the blast, and then lowered again to materials are available, experimental explosives have a fifth of the device's original value in the injury zone.

52 The Effective Area of a bomb is dependent on Yield; Shaped Charges and Smartbombs the kill zone of a bomb is the square root of the Yield, while the Shaped charges have been in use for well over a maim zone is equal to the original Yield. The injury zone is century. They function by redirecting part of a blast toward a equal to the square of the original Yield (a 5 Yield bomb has a desired target. Used frequently in seekers, they are also used kill zone of just over two meters, a maim zone of five meters, in some “dumb” explosives. and an injury zone of twenty five meters, while a 25 Yield bomb has a kill zone of five meters, a maim zone of twenty-five Shaped charges can be deployed directly to a surface, meters, and an injury zone of 625 meters. and function as area denial devices or for demolitions with less collateral damage. They reduce the range of the blast radii Finally, the Armor Resistance simply determines along a 90-270 degree arc to a quarter of the normal range. which type of armor is used: Kinetic (K), Energy (E), or the The cost to create a smartbomb is 20 percent greater than the lowest of the two (L). cost for a normal bomb, and a Demolitions skill test is required. In addition to the explosives themselves, devices On a critical failure, the device appears to be finished properly, used for demolitions or combat use require detonators, which but the shaped charge will fail when used and the bomb will are available in wired, wireless (including neutrino), analogue, have a normal blast. The damage caused by a shaped charge and QE variants consisting of a detonator-receiver pair. Most is increased by 10 if the blocked arc is at least 180 degrees in detonators can be activated from mesh inserts, though the length, and by 15 if the blocked arc is 270 degrees in length, not codes to trigger the detonation is secured using a one-time to exceed the original yield of the weapon. This damage pad. Increase the cost by 1 stage for detonators capable of decreases normally over distance (to a third of its value in the triggering Experimental-grade explosives. Inserting the maim zone, and to a fifth of its value in the injury zone). detonator into an explosive device is somewhat dangerous, Smartbombs function like shaped charges, but can be and requires a Demolitions roll; on a critical failure the device deactivated and customized on the fly, relying on magnetic detonates.[Low (Wired, radio, infrared, and microwave), shielding or adjustable baffles to achieve a similar effect. Moderate (Neutrino), High (QE)] Reconfiguring a smartbomb takes about three seconds (a For more information on using specific components to whole combat round), though sending the command is a free construct a bomb, use the Explosives table. or quick action, depending on the method used. QE smartbombs can only be adjusted once. Smartbombs cost fifty Managing Blasts percent more than a standard bomb. Since there are advanced Although shaped charges and smartbombs mitigate systems integrated into a smartbomb, there is no chance of some of the danger of explosives, there are still times when failure while setting one up. the average user finds the full blast of a weapon to be too Common Explosive Devices powerful. When creating a bomb, a separate Demolitions test may be made. If successful, the user can decrease the range Broadsword Mine: Available in AI and AV of the detonation to an arbitrary amount no less than 10 configurations for use against both soft and hardened targets, percent of the normal range; this does not have to be equally the broadsword mine is a directional smartmine with applied to all of the blast increments (for instance, a bomb can fragmentation or penetration based explosives. A shaped have a regular kill zone, but diminished maim and injury charge, the Broadsword has only a 2-meter rear arc radius, zones). Smartbombs and shaped charges made from these and can direct its detonation into a 90 degree or 180 degree bombs further decrease the blast radius in undesired arc. Broadswords are swivel-mounted smartbombs, and are directions. able to be detonated manually or when certain numbers or types of hostiles are detected. An AI model Broadsword is Alternatively, if larger blasts are desired, the price of about the size of an assault rifle magazine, while an AV model the explosive may be increased by 10 percent to increase a weighs about five kilograms. [High (AI), Expensive (AV)] single blast zone to up to twice its original size. This may be purchased multiple times for different zones, but only once for Hellrose: Made from a mixture of high explosive and each zone. refined organic fuel, hellroses are dangerous mines derived

53 from “bouncing betty” bombs; the mine is actually a two-stage Radiation platform, with one detonation launching the primary charge in People often come into contact with radiation in the air, and the second consuming everything within range in a space, especially when radioactive materials leak into a sealed brief maelstrom of four-thousand degree centigrade flame. habitat or when radioactive weapons such as nuclear bombs [High] or enhanced radiation weapons are deployed to the battlefield. Light Mortar: Light mortars are man-portable and fire Poor radiation containment in nuclear reactors, including both a variety of shells intended for precision fire or area denial in a fission and fusion reactors, can also cause high levels of variety of desired battlefield roles. They also are occasionally irradiation to morphs and equipment, as can exposure to used as explosives, converted into satchel form factor devices stellar bodies and other natural, alien, and transhuman-made for remote detonation and used by special forces or phenomena. insurgents. They are available in high explosive, high explosive Radiation in Biomorphs anti-vehicle, fragmentary, and plasma configurations. [High for Transhuman medicine can reduce or entirely negate HE, HEAV, or frag; Expensive for plasma] most of the health factors of long-term radiation exposure, Heavy Mortar: Heavy mortars are fired by vehicle- sometimes automatically as a result of the modifications made mounted howitzer and mortar platforms, and are often fired to even the most basic splicer to prepare them for space airburst to damage a wide area. They contain large bombs with colonization, or sometimes with the assistance of healing vats impact detonators, and are occasionally converted into or other nanotechnology, as well as drugs designed for that stationary IED's by insurgents or special forces groups. Like purpose. As even basic biomods empower morphs to fight off light mortars, heavy mortar shells are available in high cancer to an extent that would be a miracle by early twenty- explosive, high explosive anti-vehicle, fragmentary, and first century standards, the largest threat comes from acute plasma configurations. [Expensive for HE, HEAV, or frag, radiation sickness. Expensive (minimum 20,000) for plasma.] Acute radiation sickness tends to come about as a Saturation Attacks result of exposure to very high amounts of radiation very quickly. Speed of exposure plays a critical role in the Some weapons attack a broad area, but not like a development of symptoms. ARS has four levels: Minor, Major, blast. These “saturation attacks” include traditional Critical, and Extreme. Morphs with basic biomods suffer ARS at flamethrowers, dragon's breath shotgun rounds, and a variety thresholds equal to twice those at which flats suffer it. The of energy weapons, plus some exotic weapons. radiation resistance augmentation (p. 189, Rimward) multiplies Saturation attacks work differently from normal these thresholds by a further 30 times their original ratings, attacks; weapons with a saturation quality have two ratings: making ARS significantly less likely. Medichines can protect width and distance. A final saturation quality on a weapon against infection and some of the other side-effects of might look like: “Saturation: 10/40”. Ratings are assumed to be radiation sickness, but do not help with symptoms by in meters, unless otherwise stated. Attacks made with a themselves, partly because exposure to radiation will damage saturation weapon do not require a roll. them as well.

Instead, a character targeted with a saturation attack If taken before symptoms set in, bananas furiosas (p. makes an REF*SPD test to avoid the harm. This only applies if 319, EP) reduce the severity of radiation poisoning by one level the character can move out of the effect's area entirely, or if (entirely mitigating minor radiation sickness). The Coronal there is some sort of cover available within a couple meters. Adaptation morph trait (p. 164-165, Sunward) provides Characters who anticipate a saturation attack and get out of complete immunity from ARS in biomorphs. the way can take cover as a quick action to avoid the attack. Minor radiation sickness occurs at 4 grays for most Moderate and major will completely negate any incoming fire, biomorphs. One to two hours after exposure, morphs while being in minor cover provides a +20 modifier to the experience nausea and vomiting, and have a small chance of REF*SPD roll to avoid the attack. suffering diarrhea, as their gastrointestinal tract is thrown into

54 disorder; this lasts for a day or two. This is followed by synthmorphs. Although the required amounts of radiation for headaches beginning 3-8 hours after exposure, which are any noticeable effect to occur in a synthmorph are higher than accompanied by cognitive impairment and fever, which last for those for a biomorph, the effects have very rapid onsets. Also, a day and cause a -10 penalty to all rolls, including tests while ARS syndromes only occur after significant exposure in a involving a morphs durability or mental resistance. At this short period (roughly a day), synthmorph radiation damage point, radiation poisoning tends to be fatal after a month or accrues over longer periods of time. two without care, mostly due to infections and hemorrhage; The Coronal Adaptation trait (p. 164-165, Sunward) or bruise-like features called purpura and the loss of hair are the Radiation Shielding robotic enhancement (p. 167, Sunward) obvious signs of minor radiation sickness. completely mitigate radiation effects from weapons, though Major radiation sickness occurs at 12 grays. Ten to extremely potent sources of radiation from other sources may sixty minutes after exposure, morphs suffer nausea and still cause damage to the morph. vomiting, likely having diarrhea as well. Headaches, fever, and After exposure to ten grays, cyberbrains and cognitive impairment follow, which last for multiple days, processors begin to display phenomena related to radiation conferring a -10 penalty to all rolls and decreasing all aptitudes damage. This manifests in a slight action delay, reducing the by -5. Death is likely even with care, barring a healing vat or morph's speed by 1 (to a minimum of 1) and reducing REF by 5. medichines. In addition to hemorrhage and hair loss, major radiation sickness includes dizziness, disorientation, and After exposure to thirty grays, the electrical systems immune system failure. Death usually occurs after 2-4 weeks. are damaged to the point where ego simulation and AI processes are impaired. In addition to the effects of lesser Critical radiation sickness occurs at 16 grays. Within radiation damage, the AI or ego suffers a further -5 penalty to minutes of exposure, nausea and vomiting begin. Within an REF, COO, and COG (resulting in a total penalty to REF of -10). hour, diarrhea follows. Within an hour, morphs also suffer severe headaches and incapacitating CNS function loss, At sixty grays of radiation, the cyberbrain and preventing them from taking actions and conferring a -10 processing systems are heavily damaged; a -10 penalty to all penalty to all aptitudes. Any rolls they must take suffer an attributes is incurred, and the morph is reduced to a speed of 1. additional -20 penalty. Death is certain without medical care, After receiving one hundred and twenty grays of and permanent damage will likely result even with the radiation, the cyberbrain and processing systems are assistance of a healing vat. Medichines are insufficient to damaged beyond functionality, rendering the morph or robot provide care, if they even survived the exposure to ionizing permanently unconscious. Data storage is impaired, and the radiation that impacted the morph. ego may suffer corruption that can be healed via At exposures to more than 60 grays, extreme psychosurgery. Memory loss may result. radiation poisoning occurs. Patients become nauseous and Unlike biomorphs, synthmorphs may be repaired vomit within minutes of exposure, and suffer diarrhea, from radiation exposure by medichines. This negates the headaches, fever, and loss of CNS function within an hour, effects of one gray's exposure per day, though if the accompanied by seizures, tremors, and loss of motor control. cyberbrain or processor reach the one hundred and twenty This totally incapacitates a morph; the ego inside may be gray threshold the ego must be restored from cortical stack, conscious (though likely delirious) but may be treated for though it is unlikely to suffer the same corruption that ARS in most intents and purposes as if they are unconscious. Egos biomorphs causes through central nervous system damage. shunted to cortical stacks are typically corrupted beyond repair, any implants fail, and attempts to prevent the morph's Attacking Thresholds inevitable death are pointless. EMP weapons used against communications, Radiation in Synthmorphs firefighting gear, and certain other weapons attack thresholds. Although radiation causes devastating effects in If the target's threshold is exceeded by the attack's damage, biomorphs, it can be even more dangerous to robots and then the target is “destroyed” (in the case of communications equipment, antennae are damaged, decreasing their range to

55 a tenth of normal, while most other threshold attacks are cause secondary fires if their temperature is lower than the instantaneous). flashpoint of the things that they come into contact with. These fires have an extinguish threshold of 5. Extinguishing Fire Flammable Liquid/Gas (B) Extinguishing fire is done with a threshold attack, or by taking special actions to extinguish flame on a morph (akin These fires have liquid or gaseous fuel, which makes to the “stop, drop, and roll” popular in habitats with enough it necessary to fight them using different methods. Applying gravity to permit such things). water, even NotWater, can spread the fuel around, spreading the flames. In order to fight these fires, a dry chemical Fighting fires is very different in microgravity; one extinguisher or smothering foam agent must be used. These advantage that many vacuum-surrounded habitats have is the fires typically cause 1d10 damage per turn. Fires involving ability to vent portions of a habitat to deprive flames of cooking oils, fats, or other high-flashpoint liquids can be oxygen; habitats may also use air mixtures that have less extinguished using a liquid mist of water or NotWater, though propensity to feed flames and have lower environmental pouring water or NotWater straight on them is not pressures to limit the amount of oxygen available to fires. recommended. These fires have an extinguish threshold of 8. Water foam and “fog” extinguishers are used in Electrical Fire (C) microgravity, at least on class A fires. Microgravity fires have Caused by electrical equipment short circuits or wildly different profiles, and can be frighteningly hard to spot in sabotage, electrical fires have the additional threat of well-lit environments. Thermal vision and scanners are used to electrocution. Water, NotWater, and foam should not be used to spot fires or chemicals are added to the air supply that provide fight electrical fires, because they may conduct electricity back distinctive smoke when fires are burning to allow for more to the user and cause shocks or electrocution. Shutting off rapid responses to fire. electrical power to the source of the fire will reduce these Any fire on a station or asteroid with microgravity will concerns. Electrical fires typically cause 2d10 damage per turn. almost certainly be dealt with in an automated or wide-scale Otherwise, electrical fires can be fought using any non- manner; it is practically impossible to extinguish an individual conductive firefighting agent, such as dry chemical who has caught flame in vacuum; small fires may be extinguishers. These fires have an extinguish threshold of 12, smothered by touch, but attempts to smother larger flames which is reduced to 5 if power is removed; unpowered class C have the undesirable side effect of sending ignited matter fires can usually be treated as class A fires; otherwise they scattering. CO2 based systems are not uncommon among usually are handled as class B fires. older habitats, while more advanced flame retardants are Metal Fire (D) used on later habitats. Metal fires are caused by flammable metals On any habitat with at least half of Earth's gravity conducting. Typically, large bodies of metal will conduct heat (simulated or not), it is possible to “stop, drop, and roll” away from a single point, so metal fires are common where (special variants exist for non-humanoid morphs as there are shavings, sawdust, or other small metal particles approproiate) to extinguish a flame; this is a complex action present. Metal fires cause 2d10 damage per turn, and require that does 1d10 + (REF ÷ 10) damage against the fire. special dry powder extinguishers (distinct from dry chemical Synthmorphs have an inherent resistance to flame, and gain extinguishers). The extinguish threshold of these fires is 12. an additional +5 damage on this test. Firefighting Gear Ordinary Combustibles (A) Firefighting gear usually belongs to the Spray These fires consist of the majority of fires; your Weapons category. Each piece of gear is effective against traditional burning trash barrel or wood campfire, for instance, different fires, which is an important consideration for the are fires made with ordinary combustibles. They do 1d10 ÷ 2 installation of new habitat modules and their fire suppression damage per turn, and can be extinguished normally. Combustible fires can spread in microgravity, but may not

56 systems. Using firefighting gear is a complex Spray Weapons However, most spray weapons include an adjustable action, and uses up one point of ammunition from the tank. choke. This allows attacks to be made against up to three targets (each must be within one meter of the previous Each of the following is available as a tank for a target), though short range attacks lose the +1d10 damage sprayer (p. 341, EP); each is effective in different volumes and bonus they would normally receive, and medium range attacks therefore has different ammunition counts. Extinguishing suffer the -1d10 penalty that normally applies to long and material tanks do not require a sprayer, however, having a extreme range attacks. Attacking in this manner incurs a -10 built-in nozzle that has a third the range of a normal sprayer. penalty to the attack due to the increased spread of the Dry Chemical: Dry chemical extinguishers attempt to projectiles making a meaningful hit less likely. If a smartlink is interrupt the chemical reaction that is part of the combustion present, the choke can be automatically adjusted; otherwise a process. They are effective against class A, B, and C fires, quick action is required to manually adjust the settings. though some old pre-Fall models may not work on class A fires. [Low] Maiming Wounds When a character takes two wounds, they fall Water/Foam: Water and foam extinguishers take unconscious according to the rules on Eclipse Phase p. 207; away heat and sometimes oxygen from a fire. Although only bots and vehicles automatically crash. The maiming wounds recommended for use on class A fires, synthmorphs or rule attempts to replace this with a more detailed mechanic, particularly desperate biomorphs can use them on class C with unconsciousness being one possible outcome out of fires, incurring the risk of a Shock attack on a critical success many that include serious risk to life and limb. or failure. Sprayers protect against this. [Trivial] When a character takes at least two wounds at once, Carbon Dioxide: Carbon dioxide extinguishers remove they incur these wounds plus a special “Maiming Wound” the heat and oxygen from an area, and can cause frostbite to effect. Maiming Wounds are handled by rolling on the Maiming biomorphs. Class B and C fires respond well to carbon dioxide Wound table appropriate to the type of damage the weapon is extinguishers; Class A fires can be “extinguished”, but often doing. Some Maiming Wounds have different effects for smolder and reignite. [Low] synthmorphs and biomorphs (pods are treated as biomorphs Halogen/Clean Agent: Useful against A, B, and C fires, for most Maiming Wounds; exceptions will be noted). All Halogen or “clean agent” extinguishers interrupt the chemical Durability tests to prevent Maiming Wounds use a morph's process of combustion. Their poor capacity is a limitation to Durability score minus the damage they have currently their effectiveness. [Low] sustained.

Dry Powder: Dry powder extinguishers are used on Typically, characters roll a d10 on the maiming wound metal fires, removing heat and oxygen from the fuel. table, but the GM may allow players to roll Moxie to reduce this Unfortunately, they are entirely ineffective against other fires. to a d5 (round down as usual). [Moderate] Selecting Limbs Water Mist: Purified deionized water is used in these On occasion, Maiming Wounds use the term “limb”. extinguishers, which prevents the risk of electronic This refers to a character's wings, arms, or legs (the head is conductivity. Otherwise, they function as a Water/Foam not considered a limb to this purpose, and refers to wherever extinguisher. [Low] the brain or cyberbrain of a morph is located), or to a Adjustable Spray Weapons synthmorph's locomotive system and weapon actuators. Maiming wounds that target limbs and are rolled against a As a cone effect weapon (EP, p. 194), spray weapons target that does not have explicit limbs (such as a mimic, gain a +1d10 damage bonus against targets at short range by Factor, or other shape changing morph without designated default. These weapons can also be used to attack multiple limb structures) should be rerolled, though it is possible to hit a targets with a single attack, so long as they are close together weapon actuator on a Sphere or other synthmorph that and at an appropriate range. normally does not have external limbs.

57 The GM decides which limb is hit with a Maiming rating. Light Bioweave Armor, for instance, would provide no Wound; random rolls are encouraged, but not required. armor, while Carapace Armor would provide 8/8 armor.

Selecting Augmentations Augmentations that provide boosts to a character's Some Maiming Wounds target augmentations rather aptitudes provide half of their usual bonus, except for than causing direct damage to the morph. These should be augmentations that boost Durability, which are typically selected by the GM (similarly to how limbs are selected), with unaffected. Examples: Adrenal Boosts would provide only a +5 some of the following guidelines applied: to REF, rather than +10, when active.

• Kinetic weapons can only damage nanoware with Augmentations that provide traits or active effects special ammunition such as reactive rounds. tend to malfunction, either entirely ceasing to function (but being easier to repair than a more heavily damaged • Beam weapons other than the plasma rifle are augmentation), or requiring a MOX x10 roll to have functioning unlikely to damage morph armor implants, especially when needed. For example, Eelware would require a roll to synthmorph armor significantly. actually function or to power electronic devices.

• Seekers, on the other hand, are very likely to damage Augmentations that boost skills tend to provide -10 armor. Seekers aimed at the target are also likely to less of a bonus; for instance Chameleon Skin would provide a damage large cyberware, such as oxygen reserves. +10 when standing still and hiding (or a +10 to intentionally • Spray weapons are unlikely to damage nanoware. being detected), and no bonus while moving.

• Weapons with the Radioactive quality are devastating Most other augmentations should have damage to nanoware and bioware systems, though they handled at the GM's discretion. Some augmentations simply effect most implants. can't be damaged.

• Implants that explicitly confer resistance to damage of Sometimes augmentations are damaged beyond a weapon's type (e.g. fireproofing against incendiary usability and destroyed. Destroyed bioware, cyberware, and rounds) are very unlikely to be damaged by attacks robotic enhancements can be repaired by medichines, but from that weapon. otherwise must be entirely replaced.

• Cortical stacks are hardened against damage, and will Repairing Damaged Augmentations only be affected by attacks from weapons with an For most augmentations, damage is treated as if the Average DV of 20 or higher. They can only be damage to the augmentation was similar to a wound. Bioware destroyed, not damaged. will heal over time, so long as its host morph is capable of providing the resources and rest required for it to do so, and • Some augmentations, such as high-g adaptation or cannot heal until after damage has been healed, as if a normal basic biomods, reflect changes inherent to the nature wound had been suffered. Otherwise, damaged of a morph, and cannot ever be damaged. augmentations do not count as a wound for the purpose of Augmentation Damage And Repair wound penalties or preventing healing. Augmentations can be damaged over the course of For nanoware, cyberware, and robotic enhancements, heavy fighting. This usually happens as a result of Maiming healing is not automatic, though medichines will repair Wounds, though some weapons may specialize in damaging cyberware or robotic enhancements. In a pinch, protean certain types of augmentations (most commonly armor). swarms can be used as a substitute, though this causes 1d10 damage (which cannot be resisted) to the morph. Augmentations that are damaged tend to respond in the following ways: Repairing damaged augmentations without allowing for healing time is a similar process to replacing them (p. 199, Armor augmentations that are “damaged” when an Transhuman), requiring the same skills and roughly the same augmentation is damaged typically lose 3/3 from their armor

58 timeframe, though the price of replacement parts is one added in An Ultimate's Guide to Combat may defy this rule. category lower than the cost of the augmentation itself. Automatic seekers add double the normal damage bonus for Hardware: Robotics can be used to repair robotic fully automatic fire; rather than increasing damage by 1d10 for augmentations and cybernetic enhancements in burst fire and 3d10 for fully automatic fire, increase damage by synthmorphs, and appropriate Medicine or Hardware skills 2d10 for burst fire and 6d10 for fully automatic fire. Ammunition (GM's discretion) may be used for bioware, cyberware, and consumption and accuracy bonuses for burst and automatic nanoware repair in biomorphs and pods. fire are not effected. This rule does not apply to micromissiles or minigrenades. Replacing Destroyed Augmentations Destroyed augmentations are much more Expanded Melee Combat troublesome than augmentations which are merely damaged. This section looks at attacks beyond the usual Destroyed augmentations remain in the user's body, so they damaging attacks, including both unarmed and armed can be repaired by healing vats or medichines similarly to how attempts to grapple, move, incapacitate, and otherwise damaged augmentations can be repaired (nanoware cannot dominate opponents in combat. be restored by medichines) but they also can have negative side effects at the GM's discretion. Grappling Repairing a destroyed augmentation takes twice as Grappling an opponent is an effective close combat long as it would to heal a wound. Unlike damaged bioware, technique. In microgravity, this often has relatively little effect, destroyed bioware is only ever healed after all other wounds as either party can still push off surfaces, albeit more slowly and damage have been healed (damaged bioware can be than they usually would, but grappling can still prevent targets healed before wounds). from taking complex actions. Grappling always uses the Unarmed Combat skill and characters initiating a grapple must Otherwise, the only option to deal with destroyed have one free hand and be adjacent to their target. augmentations is to rip them out and replace them with new ones or with replacements for the original tissue or A grapple attack is considered to be a complex action. synthmorph structures. Basic biomods will grow replacements It does not gain the accuracy bonus of a touch-only attack (p. for limbs that are removed in this way after one to three 206), but can be used for async powers or other effects, such months, and medichines decrease this time from months to as applying a slap patch. Grapple attacks may be evaded as if weeks. Healing vats greatly expedite this process, allowing a they were a normal unarmed attack using Fray, or with either biomorph to restore limbs in a matter of days. an Unarmed combat or SOMx2 roll.

Reloading Heavy Weapons If the grapple attack succeeds, both the opponent and the original attacker become grappled. The victor may also Reloading many weapons is a task action with a time take an action as if they had controlled the grapple. of one Action Turn (not Action Phase); no skill test is required, but the prohibitively long reload time of these weapons mean Grappled characters may not take any non-mental that they are best used when the user is able to avoid complex action other than an opposed Unarmed Combat (or retaliation during reloading periods or with a sidearm or ally on SOMx2) action to break or gain control of a grapple. overwatch at the ready to cover the user while they reload. Alternatively, both characters may voluntarily disengage from the grapple. Characters attempting to control a grapple do so Reloading heavy weapons requires two hands, but it when they normally would. does not necessarily prevent the user from taking mental actions. Grappling characters continue to move normally in microgravity, but cannot move in normal gravity unless the Automatic Seekers combatant controlling the grapple decides to do so. Typically, seeker weapons do not have automatic or burst fire modes. The grenade machine gun and other seekers

59 Controlling Grapples A redirect attack is much like a grappling attack; it can Grapples are time consuming ways to incapacitate a be coupled with the effects of a touch-only attack, and gains a foe permanently, but some immediate effects are possible on +10 bonus to its accuracy chance. a successful grapple. Each time a combatant controls the Redirect attacks prompt an opposed SOMx2 test; in an grapple (by succeeding on a complex action as referenced environment with gravity or where magboots or the like are above or by initiating the grapple), they can do one of the deployed, the victor pulls the other toward them at their usual following actions: movement speed. In microgravity, where characters may be in • Force the opponent to drop something. free-fall, a character anchored to something will pull the other character toward them while not moving themselves; if both • Push away from the opponent; this sends them one characters are anchored then the character with the better meter away in normal gravity, or sends both the success pulls the other from their anchoring point. If both attacker and defender floating away on opposite characters fail, then neither character moves. trajectories in microgravity.

• Deal 1d10+(SOM ÷ 10) damage. Combat Maneuvers Combat maneuvers are special abilities unlocked • Make an attack with a held weapon, such as a pistol when a character hits a certain rank with the appropriate or knife, either against the person they are grappling weapon skills. with or against another target within range.

• Push off a surface in microgravity. Kinetic Weapons

• Force their opponent prone in gravity. Combat Maneuvers and Recoil After Fall weapons provide great benefits to a practical • Force both combatants out of cover. shooter due to their lack of recoil. As a general rule, weapons • Move 4 meters. with the Recoil quality suffer a -10 penalty on all shots that occur after the first in a combat maneuver. The maximum • End the grapple. distance that a recoiling weapon can perform combat • Impose a -20 penalty on the opponent's next attempt maneuvers at is equal to the upper end of the weapon's to control the grapple, but leave the grapple in place. Medium range. Typically, most of these drills are intended to be Grappling With Different Morphs done with weapons that only require one hand, but recoilless weapons mitigate many of the concerns with using these with At the GM's discretion, a number of morph-specific larger weapons. bonuses may be applied to grappling, in addition to the usual benefits from size (-10 penalty for small morphs, +20 bonus Mozambique Drill for large morphs, per page 96 of Transhuman). This is further Two shots in the body, one in the head. The modified by the fact that synthmorphs have a +10 bonus to Mozambique drill originated with a mercenary fighting in grappling, as they do not suffer muscle fatigue and do not have Mozambique. The practice is simple; aim twice for center of physical vulnerabilities as biomorphs do. mass, and then once against another point on the target that looks particularly squishy (the forehead or neck on most Redirect biomorphs, for instance). A Mozambique drill can only be A redirect action can be made with Unarmed Combat attempted with a weapon with the semiautomatic firing mode, or an appropriate Exotic Melee Weapon; this attempts to stop a and consumes three rounds of ammunition. The attack is combatant in their tracks. As with most attacks, this is a treated as if the weapon had the Reliable quality, and gains a complex action. +10 accuracy bonus as if it were a normal burst. All three shots are treated as a single attack.

60 El Presidente Step 1: Select Morph Type

The “El Presidente” drill was intended for bodyguards Morphs can be designed to be a biomorph, pod, or on earth to master and use in defense. Consisting of six shots synthmorph. against three targets, the El Presidente drill is typically Biomorphs have no adjusted MP cost, but have a +5 k practiced using two six-round magazines and doing two of the cred adjustment. They receive basic biomods, basic mesh maneuver back-to-back. It requires a one-handed weapon inserts, and a cortical stack for free as augmentations (unless with a semiautomatic firing mode, used with both hands. Each an appropriate negative trait is purchased for the morph). target must be within one meter of the prior target, and all targets must be within short range. Each attack against each Pods have no adjusted MP or k cred cost. They receive target is rolled separately. basic biomods, basic mesh inserts, and a cyberbrain for free. They also receive the Social Stigma (Pod) trait, which they do The El Presidente maneuver has two variants: one for not gain MP for. less-skilled shooters that only allows one attack against three targets, and then one for more-skilled shooters that repeats Synthmorphs have a 10 MP cost, but do not increase k the attacks and allows the shooter to reload between the two cred cost for a morph. They receive basic mesh inserts and a separate barrages. Shooters capable of using the El cyberbrain for free, and gain the increased Death Rating, Presidente II maneuver may use the original El Presidente Environmental Durability, Pain Filter, and Shock Immunity that maneuver as a Simple Action. Reloading is optional, if the user comes with being a synthmorph. Medium and larger has a full magazine, though choosing not to reload does not Synthmorphs also receive a damage bonus in melee combat. confer bonuses. Example: Ned decides to make a prototype combat Dozier Drill morph, the Flea. It's a light unit intended for scouting, not full The “Dozier” drill was created as a counter-terrorism frontal assaults. With this in mind, he chooses a synthmorph, training technique; it requires users to take down five targets because they can be manufactured more cheaply than in the time it takes for a simulated terrorist to ready a sub- biomorphs, even though they have an MP cost. machine gun. The Dozier drill requires five rounds, and results Morph Types in five separate attacks made against five different foes. Each attack against each target is rolled separately. Type MP Cost K Cred Cost Biomorph 0 5 Alternate Morph Creation System Pod 0 0 The Alternate Morph Creation System (AMCS) is an Synthmorph 10 0 expansion and modification of the rules included in Transhuman. Its focus is to create a system that encourages the creation of morphs that are similar to those already Step 2: Size and Durability existing in Eclipse Phase while also incorporating more exotic Morphs can be small, normal, large or very large designs within the context of a fully functional system. It sized. Each size has its own base durability, which can be eschews some of the designs of the original system in favor of increased further by purchasing no more than two Durability streamlining the process of creating a morph, and includes Packages for small, medium, and large morphs, and up to less confusing terminology, which should eliminate some of three Durability Packages for very large morphs. Very large the confusion that accompanies the current system. morphs gain the cheapest Durability Package they select for The AMCS uses two resources: Morph Points and K free. If a morph's selected packages add up to more than its Creds. Morph Points (MP) are used to calculate the final CP and maximum Durability, the excess Durability is lost. credit cost of the morph, while K Creds are used to calculate Ned decides that the Flea should be a Small morph. He the cost of building a morph (each represents ~1000 credits, wants it to be decently tough, so he purchases the 15-point though the final total is adjusted based on the morph's MP).

61 bonus, costing an additional 10 MP and increasing the K Cred Morphs start with an Aptitude Maximum of 30. cost by 5 for a total of 20/5. Increasing the Aptitude Maximum by 5 costs 10 MP, and can be done twice to a maximum Aptitude Maximum of 40. Decreasing Morph Size the Aptitude Maximum by 5 gives a 10 MP credit to the morph, Size Base DUR Maximum DUR which can also be done twice to a minimum Aptitude Maximum Small 15 30 of 20. Medium 20 80 At this point, Aptitude Bonuses should be selected. All Large 50 150 morphs gain a +5 Aptitude Bonus to one particular aptitude Very Large 70 200 (chosen at this step), though additional bonuses can be Durability Packages purchased. No more than four Aptitude Bonuses can be purchased for a morph, and of these no more than two can be Durability Package Eligible Sizes MP/K Cred Cost selected by the end user. The free pre-set aptitude bonus 5 All 5 0 should be converted to a +5 user-selected aptitude bonus if it 15 All 10 5 is the only aptitude bonus given to a morph (this incurs no 25 Medium+ 15 10 cost). 35 Medium+ 25 15 The Flea is not a particularly high end morph, but it is 45 Medium+ 35 20 decent. Ned decreases its aptitude bonus to 25, and decides 55 Large+ 40 25 not to buy any intrinsic bonuses to the morph's aptitude, 65 Very Large 45 30 placing the free bonus into COO. The Flea costs 10/5 now, with 30 DUR and a 25 Step 2.1: Synthmorph Inherent Armor Aptitude limit and a +5 to COO.

Synthmorphs have integrated armor as part of their Aptitude Bonuses nature. This comes at seven different levels, some of which Type MP Cost Limit have associated size requirements. This inherent armor Pre-set +5 10 2* stacks with worn armor or robotic enhancements, and does Pre-set +10 25 1 not limit their use. User Select +5 20 2** Synthmorph Armor User Select + 10 30 1** Type Rating MP Cost Minimum Size * The free +5 does not count against this limit. ** A total of two user selected aptitude bonuses may be purchased. Unarmored 2/2 0 Small Small 4/4 4 Small Step 3.1: Skill Bonuses Light 6/6 8 Small Basic 8/8 12 Small Not all morphs provide skill bonuses, but some Industrial 10/10 14 Medium morphs provide a bonus to Climbing, Flight, Free Fall, Freerunning, Infiltration, Intimidation, or Swimming. Security 12/12 18 Medium Combat 16/16 25 Medium Skill Bonuses The Flea is meant to be a recon/scout unit, and as Type MP Cost K Cred Cost such Ned decides that to save on cost he will select an First +5 2 0 Unarmored armor rating for the morph. This gives it a 2/2 First +10 4 0 armor rating, which is minimal but still better than nothing. Later +5 3 0 Step 3: Aptitudes Later + 10 6 1

62 there are examples of these morphs being built around more Ned decides that the Flea, which will be a flying morph, exotic physiology; bipedal and quadrupedal systems are needs to have some way to help pilots adjust, so he gives it a standard for most morphs, but morphs based on avian +10 flight bonus. This makes the running total for the morph 14 designs are common, and morphs built with more exotic MP and 5 K Creds. components, such as frog legs or snake-like bottoms, have seen popularity among hyperelites and scum, as well as in Step 4: Built in Augmentations places where walking just isn't the best option. Some Next comes the purchase of augmentations. Morphs movement types have a reduced cost if they are the only may be built with a number of modifications out of the box; movement type available to a morph (modes gained by there is no distinction made between augmentations except purchased augmentations count with regards to losing the for their cost and their eligibility for morphs (typically based on exclusivity discount). size or biomorph/synthmorph exclusivity). While a theoretically infinite amount of augmentations may be Available Biomorph/Pod Movement Types purchased for a morph, prices for each new augmentation Type Base Speed MP Cost triple for both MP and K Creds after the tenth augmentation of Walker 4/20 5 (0 if exclusive) that cost category has been purchased for a morph. Winged* 8/40 10 Basic biomods, mesh inserts, a cortical stack, and Snake 4/16 5 (0 if exclusive) cyberbrains do not have any associated cost and do not count Swimming 2/10 5 (0 if exclusive) toward the number of augmentations that can be purchased Hopper 4/20 5 at the normal cost. Synthmorphs also get a free Low or Trivial *Add the Wings augmentation for free; do not count it toward augmentation limit. cost movement system. Movement types purchased with MP are automatically naturalized. As a synthmorph, the Flea skips this step. Augmentation Cost Table Step 5: Select Traits Cost Category MP Cost K Cred Cost Trivial 0.5 0 Traits may be purchased for morphs. The cost of a positive trait is equal to its normal CP cost in MP, while the cost Low 1 0 decrease offered by a negative trait is equal to its CP cost in Moderate 2 1 MP. The only limitation on selecting traits for morphs is that High 5 3 they must be applicable to the type of morph, and the Social Expensive (Minimum X0,000) 15 +(5*X) Stigma (Pod) and Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) traits may Expensive + (Minimum X00,000) 40 +(15*X) not be purchased for morphs that would get them As a synthmorph, the Flea acquires the Cyberbrain, automatically in step 5.1. Synthmorphs with a total MP and K Cortical Stack, Puppet Sock, Mnemonic Augmentation, and Cred cost of greater than 60 combined may purchase Clanking Basic Mesh Inserts augmentations for free. It forgoes a free Masses. movement system, and buys the Ionic propulsion system No traits are purchased for the Flea. (5/3), It also gains the Enhanced Vision augmentation (1/0), Chameleon Skin (1/0), Reduced Signature (5/3), 360 Degree Step 5.1: Automatic Traits Vision (1/0), Nanoscopic Vision (1/0), Lidar (1/0), and Radar At this point, add the Social Stigma (Pod) morph to (1/0) upgrades, along with a T-Ray Emitter (1/0), Medichines Pods, and the Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) trait to (1/0), and Oracles (2/1). This brings the post-augmentations synthmorphs with a total combined MP cost and K Creds cost cost of the Flea to 34 MP and 12 K Creds. of less than 60. These traits do not count against the limit of Step 4.1 Exotic Movement Ratings in Non-Synthmorphs traits, nor do they give the usual MP bonuses.

Most biomorphs and pods receive a standard With a combined cost of 46 MP and K Creds, the Flea movement rating of Walker (4/20) when they are made, but suffers the Social Stigma (Clanking Masses) trait.

63 Step 6: Calculate CP and Credit Cost

The CP cost of a Morph is equal to half of its MP, rounding up. The Credit Cost is calculated as a third of the Morph's MP (rounded down, then decreased or increased to the nearest multiple of five), plus the K Cred cost of the morph, multiplied by a thousand and rounded into the appropriate category (with minimum costs every 10,000 credits for Expensive and Expensive + morphs).

The Flea has a CP cost of 15 (down from 17), and a credit cost of Expensive (Minimum 20,000), which is rounded down from an estimated 23.3 thousand credit cost.

64 Eclipse Phase lacks the big guns. While there are Appendix some interesting and highly lethal weapons, there's not much An Ultimate's Guide to Combat is a massive piece of that can actually pose a threat to a morph like a remade or homebrew, and as such it reflects my personal tastes and rabbit, much less a reaper, in the same way that modern preferences, as well as how I think things should be. As a weapons can to a soldier. AUGC adds things that make result, I keep a nice little appendix of all my justifications and battlefields horrifying abattoirs. reasonings for things that don't necessarily make sense to EMP Weapons other people, including why I include some things in here that may not make sense. EMP weapons are anti-nanite in focus, but they also have nonlethal suppression capabilities. Their role to knock out AUGC strays a little from Eclipse Phase's normal communications in combat is worth noting as well. design principles; it's not particularly minimalist (though it's not heavily oriented around simulation), it doesn't even touch ER Weapons Firewall, and it focuses on physical stuff more than egos and ER weapons are built to be walking little war crimes in the like. The reason for this is because AUGC attempts to bring a can. If someone's using one of these, they're desperate or in combat scenarios and plausible battlefields, as well as flesh crazy, and you can play them as such. Also, they do a very out some hazards. The main reason for this is to have good job at taking out hardened morphs. AUGC is built around consistent rules in my personal games, and since I'm already shortening lifespans, and ER weapons are a great way to do recording them I figured I may as well type them up in a quasi- that. Theoretically, they're also good at taking down neat fashion and put them out for publication. nanoswarms, since they typically just ignore walls and the like. Weapons Minigrenades and Microgrenades One of the core focuses of AUGC is including an EP's core rulebook introduces micro/minigrenades as obscene number of new weapons and pieces of kit for players. “microgrenades”, and then proceeds to call them Some of this stuff warps the known AF tech of Eclipse Phase to “minigrenades”. I use the term minigrenades, as it was used achieve goals that are perhaps not possible using the setting more frequently in the core rulebook, though it should be as written, but certainly make combat much more interesting. noted that minigrenades have the same effect as micromissiles. Weapon Qualities

Weapon qualities are really common in other tabletop Augmentations games, but Eclipse Phase has never had any. As a result, I add Glow glands exist for the sake of adding to tension a few in here to give some slightly more interesting combat and horror. They're the things that go off when stuff's gone situations without the need for special rules on each individual really wrong. weapon, and to give a few more interesting traits. Mjölnir systems are designed to give melee The reliable damage trait exists to let weapons be combatants a chance to close, and serve as a second chance substantially more dangerous without increasing the for people who screw up on an EVA. For the most part, the maximum amount of damage they do; reliable weapons won't point of them is to give a high-impact, high-octane tool in the do insane hits for massive damage, but they'll usually put out melee combatant's arsenal. enough to ignore light armor, for instance. Whiplash tendrils are something that I added The unwieldy trait exists to give players opportunities (unrelated to the whiplash morph) to give a bit of range to to use weapons that are really too big to just waltz around asyncs, who tend to get left out by the massive combat with, but that also are really a necessity supplement.

HMGs, AMRs, & Assault Cannons Rules Changes Maiming Wounds

65 This alternate system is built to address two Step 4: Basic Biomods, Cortical Stack, Basic Mesh Inserts concerns with the fluff. First, transhumans with even basic (Freebies), Enhanced Hearing (1/0), Enhanced Smell (1/0), biomods are supposed to be incapable of going into shock, Echolocation (1/0), Polarization Vision (1/0), Eidetic Memory meaning that unconsciousness is unlikely except as a result to (1/0), Enhanced Vision (1/0), Chameleon Skin (1/0), Clean trauma to the brain, cyberbrain, or perhaps central nervous Metabolism (2/1), Grip Pad (1/0), Eelware (1/0), Medichines system. Second, it provides ways to actually have traumatic (1/0), Oracles (2/1), Respirocytes (2/1), Skinlink (2/1), High-G battlefield injuries that require the use of a healing vat or Adaptation (2/1), Toxin Filter (2/1), Temperature Tolerance dedicated repairs, since even medichines can't work that much (Improved Cold) (2/1), Neurachem I (5/3) [81/28] of a miracle by themselves. On a more practical mechanics Step 4.1: Skip side, it adds a degree of visceral carnage to combat, allowing for the sort of gory damage that wouldn't necessarily happen Step 5: Pain Tolerance I [91/28] with most of the weapons in the vanilla Eclipse Phase books, Step 5.1: N/A but certainly happen often with AUGC weapons. Step 6: 45 CP (rounded down from 45.5), Expensive (Minimum Morph Construction 60,000)

These notes show my work for the custom morphs I Grim made according to the rules in Transhuman. These represent some common military morphs that you are likely to see on a The grim is a low-end combat morph that's an battlefield, so I included them here. alternative to the Flea. Unlike the Flea, the Grim is the poor man's stealth unit; it's not a scout, it's just hard to detect. One Rabbit of the core features of the Grim is its ability to be shoved in a The point of the Rabbit is to create, effectively, a box and smuggled into a habitat, or otherwise be used special forces-friendly morph that is capable of infiltrating in stealthily. It's also got some direct confrontation capabilities, almost any terrestrial environment (space adapted versions which the Flea lacks. exist as well, ergo the choice between freerunning or free fall Step 1: Synthmorph (10/0) variants), though because they are intended for military morph use there isn't any choice between bonus attributes. Step 2: Small (20 DUR) (15/0) The incredible durability is intended to reflect the fact that the Step 2.1: Industrial Armor (10/10) (29/0) Rabbit/Elf morphs are built to be nigh-indestructible, and they are made to be able to go basically anywhere on Earth. Step 3: Aptitude Maximum 20, +5 to one aptitude of user's choice. (9/0) Now, of course, the places in Eclipse Phase where Rabbits may find practical application are somewhat limited; Step 3.1: Infiltration + 10 (13/0) they probably make decent enough gatecrashing morphs, Step 4: Cyberbrain, Mnemonic Augmentations, Puppet Sock, because of their nature as combat-oriented survival, mobility, Cortical Stack, Basic Mesh Inserts (Freebies), Walker 4/20 and stealth morphs. However, they have features you just (Synthmorph Freebie), Radar Absorbent (2/1), Chameleon don't need in normal morphs. Skin (1/0), Telescoping Limbs (1/0), Echolocation (1/0), Grip Step 1: Biomorph (0/5) Pads (1/0), Medichines (1/0)[20/1]

Step 2: Medium (50 DUR) [20/15] Step 4.1: N/A

Step 2.1: N/A Step 5: Skip

Step 3: Aptitude Maximum 30, REF +5, COO +5 [30/15] Step 5.1: Social Stigma (Clanking Masses)

Step 3.1: Freerunning/Free Fall +10, Infiltration +10,,Climbing Step 6: 10 CP (Exact), High (Rounded Down) +10, Swimming +10 [52/18] Phoenix

66 A cross between low-end and high-end morphs, the Phoenix is decently durable and includes integrated combat capabilities. It's meant to be a somewhat expensive piece of hardware, but one with some real kick to it.

Step 1: Synthmorph (10/0)

Step 2: Medium (50 DUR) [30/10]

Step 2.1: Heavy Combat (16/16) [55/10]

Step 3: Aptitude Maximum 30, +5 to any.

Step 3.1: Skip

Step 4: Cyberbrain, Access Jacks, Puppet Sock, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack (Freebies), Walker (Synthmorph Freebie), Heavy Combat Armor (5/3) + Fireproofing & Lotus Coating (1/0), Inferno System (15/5), Emergency Farcaster (15/5) [91/23]

Step 4.1: N/A

Step 5: Skip

Step 5.1: N/A

Step 6: 45 CP (Rounded Down), Expensive (Minimum 50,000) Rounded Down

Combat Maneuvers Combat maneuvers are one of the features of AUGC that I pictured would be fairly controversial, as well as pretty much a balance breaker.

Combat maneuvers favor highly trained characters over characters in good morphs with high-end gear; they're why the Jovians can compete with anyone else in terms of military power or the Ultimates are in high demand.

They also basically reflect the fact that semiautomatic weapons effectively fire as quick as you pull the trigger, which is often overlooked. A MAC-10 modified to be civilian legal will likely still have the twelve hundred rounds per minute firing rate of its military equivalent, it just won't use it. A skilled shooter can put that speed to good use.

67 Tables

Weapon Ranges Firearms Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Revolver 0-15 16-50 51-80 81-160 Designated Marksman Rifle 0-180 181-300 301-600 601-1000 Breakdown Survival Pistol 0-10 11-30 31-45 46-60 Breakdown Survival Rifle 0-80 81-200 201-400 401-800 Pipe Rifle 0-20 21-40 41-50 51-60 Sleeve Gun 0-25 26-60 61-90 91-100 Heavy Machine Gun 0-150 151-400 401-1200 1201-2000 Anti-Materiel Rifle 0-300 301-800 801-2000 2001-3500 Assault Cannon 0-200 201-600 601-1200 1201-1800 Underbarrel Shotgun* 0-10 11-30 31-40 41-50 Shotgun Pistol* 0-15 16-30 31-60 61-90 Hunting Shotgun* 0-80 81-150 151-250 251-400 Assault Shotgun* 0-60 61-100 101-200 201-300 Railguns Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Revolver, DMR, HMG, AMR, Sleeve Gun, and Assault Cannon as Firearm equivalents plus 50 percent range Underbarrel Flak Cannon* 0-20 20-40 41-50 51-60 Flak Cannon* 0-150 151-250 251-400 401-500 Beam Weapons Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Laser Rifle 0-40 41-120 121-180 181-300 Plasma Pistol 0-15 16-30 31-60 61-100 Blaster 0-15 16-25 26-50 51-80 EMP Pistol 0-30 31-80 81-150 151-300 EMP Rifle 0-50 51-150 151-300 301-450 EMP Saturator 0-80 81-200 201-400 401-600 ER Weapons Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) UV Laser 0-50 51-75 75-150 151-250 Beta Pistol 0-75 76-125 126-200 201-300 Beta Rifle 0-100 101-200 200-350 351-500 PER Pistol 0-100 101-150 151-250 251-350 PER Rifle 0-150 151-300 301-600 601-800 Seeker Weapons Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Underbarrel Grenade Launcher 0-75 76-125 126-175 176-225 Grenade Launcher 0-100 101-150 151-200 201-250 Grenade Machine Gun 0-150 151-300 301-400 401-500 Self-Launched Minimissile 5-17 18-45 46-200 201-500 Self-Launched Micromissile 5-37 38-75 76-250 251-750

*Shotguns and flak cannons lose -1d10 damage at long range and -2d10 at extreme range

68 Weapon Ranges Continued Spray Weapons Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) HEP Pistol 0-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 HEP Rifle 0-10 11-25 26-40 41-50 Bows Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Bow To SOM To SOM x3 To SOM x5 To SOM x8 Compound Bow To SOM x2 To SOM x5 To SOM x8 To SOM x12 Smartbow To SOM To SOM x3 To SOM x5 To SOM x8 Automatic Bow 0-30 31-90 91-150 151-240 Crossbows Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Crossbow To SOM x2 To SOM x6 To SOM x10 To SOM x12 Automatic Crossbow 0-60 61-180 181-300 301-360 Rajput Weapons Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Doru 0-15 16-45 46-70 71-100 Sarissa 0-150 151-250 251-500 501-800 Amentum 5-300 301-600 601-2000 2001-3500 Miscellaneous Short Range Medium Range (-10) Long Range (-20) Extreme Range (-30) Fire Extinguisher 0-2 3-5 6-10 11-17 Targun 0-10 11-30 31-60 61-80 Grappling Gun 0-20 21-50 51-70 71-80

69 Kinetic Weapons Firearms DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Revolver 2d10+6 -5 17 SA 6 Designated Marksman Rifle 2d10+8 -10 19 SA/BF 20 Breakdown Survival Pistol/Rifle 2d10+4 -4 15 SA 5 Recoil Pipe Rifle 2d10+3 -3 14 SS 1 Lemon Sleeve Gun 2d10+3 -2 14 SA/BF/FA 10 Heavy Machine Gun 2d10+9 -8 20 FA 100 Unwieldy Anti-Materiel Rifle 2d10+14 -14 25 SA 5 Assault Cannon 3d10+16 -20 32 SS 2 Unwieldy, Recoil Railguns DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Revolver 2d10+8 -8 19 SA 6 Designated Marksman Rifle 2d10+10 -13 21 SA/BF 20 Sleeve Gun 2d10+5 -5 16 SA/BF/FA 20 Heavy Machine Gun 2d10+11 -11 22 FA 100 Unwieldy Anti-Materiel Rifle 2d10+16 -17 27 SA 5 Assault Cannon 3d10+18 -23 34 SS 2 Unwieldy, Recoil

Firefighting Gear Exotic Ranged Weapons DV Effective Classes Notes Ammo Qualities Dry Chemical 2d10 A, B, C Archaic models may lack class A 5 Water/Foam 2d10 A, C* 5 Saturation 5/10 Carbon Dioxide 2d10+2 B, C 3 Halogen/Clean Agent 2d10+4 A, B, C - 10 against class A fires 3 Dry Powder 2d10+4 D 5 Water Mist 2d10 A, C 5 Saturation 5/10

* Users attempting to use this against a class C fire may be subject to electrocution, treated as a shock attack, at the GM's discretion. Ammunition Chambering DV Modifier AP Modifier Ammunition Capacity Qualities Small Caliber -2 -1 Standard X 1.4 Large Caliber +2 — Standard X 0.8 Load DV AP Range Modifier Qualities Subsonic -2 +3 Standard x 0.8 Hypervelocity +2 -2 Standard X 1.2 Recoil*

*Firearms with the hypervelocity adaptation modification negate this effect. Melee Weapons Clubs DV AP Average DV Qualities Power Sledge 2d10 + 4 + (SOM ÷ 5) -6 15 + (SOM ÷ 5) Unwieldy

Exotic Melee Weapons DV AP Average DV Qualities Kinetic Gauntlets 1d10+5 + (SOM ÷ 5) -4 10 + (SOM ÷ 5) Area (0-10) 70 Scour Sword 2d10+5 All 16 Scour swords cause an additional wound on a critical hit. EMP Weapons Beam Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities EMP Pistol 2d10+4 — 15 SA 50 EMP Rifle 2d10+6 — 20 SA 20 Reliable EMP Saturator 3d10+8 — 24 SA 10 Saturation 10/40

EMP weapons only effect nanoswarms and radio communications equipment. Radio communications equipment damaged by EMP has its range reduced to 10 percent of its normal until it is repaired. Shotguns Firearms DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Underbarrel Shotgun 2d10 — 14 SA 1 Reliable Shotgun Pistol 2d10 — 14 SA 2 Reliable Hunting Shotgun 3d10 — 21 SA 5 Reliable Assault Shotgun 2d10 — 14 SA/BF/FA 20 Reliable Railguns DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Underbarrel Flak Cannon 3d10 -2 21 SA 1 Reliable Flak Cannon 4d10 -4 29 SA 4 Reliable

All ratings given are for flechette ammunition.

Bows Bows DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Bow 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 10) -2 5 + (SOM ÷ 10) SS 1 Reliable Compound Bow 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 5) -5 5 + (SOM ÷ 5) SS 1 Reliable Smartbow 1d10 + (SOM ÷ 5) - 3 5 + (SOM ÷ 5) SS 1 Reliable Automatic Bow 1D10 + 8 -5 13 SS 1 Reliable Crossbows DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Crossbow 2d10 + (SOM ÷ 5) -4 11 + (SOM ÷ 5) SS 5 Multi-Mode* Automatic Crossbow 2d10 + 8 -7 19 SA 5 Multi-Mode*

* These weapons can be used as kinetic weapons if the user is meshed to an attached smartlink (purchased separately).

Kinetic Weapon Maneuvers Technique Effect Minimum Skill Action Mozambique Drill Add Reliable, + 10 Accuracy, consume 3 rounds 30 CA El Presidente Make single attacks against three targets, consume 6 rounds 35 CA El Presidente II Make double attacks against three targets, consume 6 rounds, reload, consume 6 rounds. 45 CA Dozier Drill Make single attacks against five targets, consume five rounds. 40 CA

Vehicles: Robots Robot Movement Rate Max Velocity Armor Durability Wound Threshold Mobility System Nanocase 8/40 120 16/16 80 16 Thrust Vector Enhancements: Chameleon Skin, Heavy Combat Armor, Hidden Compartment (not covert), 360° Vision, Enhanced Vision

71 Seeker Weapons Seeker Weapons Projectile Firing Modes Ammo Qualities MPMLMS Missile SA 4 Unwieldy Reusable Missile Launcher Missile SS 1 Underbarrel Grenade Launcher Grenade SS 1 Grenade Launcher Grenade SS 6 Grenade Machine Gun Grenade FA 40 Unwieldy Self-Launched Seekers* Micromissile/Minimissile SS —

*Self-launched seekers have one quarter of the seeker's usual range. Grenades and Seekers Grenade/Seeker Type DV AP Average DV Armor Used to Resist Qualities Defab — — — — Defab (2d10)* Flare 2d10+4 -3 15 E Flame (1d10) Probe — — — — Rad — — — — Radioactive (40|20|10)*

DV doubles for full missiles, and is decreased by 1d10 for micromissiles and minigrenades. *These qualities are doubled for full missiles, and are halved for micromissiles and minigrenades.

Kinetic Ammunition Ammo AP Modifier DV Modifier Qualities Defab +2 -3 Defab (2)

Enhanced Radiation Weapons UV DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities UV Laser 2d10+2 +∞ SA/BF/FA 50 Beta DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Beta Pistol 1d10+8 -15 13 SA 30 Radioactive (4) Beta Rifle 1d10+10 -15 15 SA 15 Radioactive (10) Penetrating Enhanced DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Radiation PER Pistol 1d10+2 -all 7 SA 20 Radioactive (4) PER Rifle 1d10+4 -all 9 SA 10 Radioactive (10)

UV radiation is stopped by most opaque and composite surfaces, beta radiation absorbs into a target, and gamma, x-ray, and neutron radiation will penetrate through targets.

Spray Weapons Spray Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities HEP Pistol 2d10+6 -14 17 SS 5 Flame (2d10) HEP Rifle 3d10+8 -14 24 SS 15 Flame (3d10)

72 Beam Weapons Conventional Beam Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Laser Rifle 2d10+4 — 15 SA, BF, FA 50 Plasma Pistol 3d10+6 -4 22 SA 15 Flame (1d10) Blaster 2d10 — 14 SA, BF 20 Reliable, Lemon

Arrow and Bolt Types Arrow/Bolt AP Modifier DV Modifier Qualities AP -4 -1 Barbed +4 +3 Minigrenade — — — Reactive -1 +3 Flame (2d10) Regular — — Smartbarb +1 +3 Thunderstrike — — Shock (2d10)

Armor Armor Energy Kinetic APEX Nanosuit 7 4 CBRNN Suit 13 12

Smartguns Mobility Platform Bonus Computer Skill Rating Standard* 0 Standard 25 Advanced* 20 Advanced 40

*A standard mobility platform has a moderate cost for one-handed weapons and a high cost for two-handed weapons. Increasing the cost category by one buys an advanced platform.

Vehicles: Exoskeleton Exoskeleton Movement Rate Max Velocity Armor Durability Wound Threshold Mobility System Cavalry Battlesuit 8/321 12/802 301/752 15/9 40 8 Walker1/Ionic2

73 Maiming Wounds (Kinetic) Result Outcome 1 Character becomes bruised or suffers cosmetic damage to morph. No effect. 2 DUR x3 test to avoid immediately taking another wound. 3 Limb functionality damaged. Morph suffers a -10 penalty to all tests made with that limb. 4 DUR x3 test or augmentation suffers penalty to effects until repaired. 5 Character falls unconscious, per normal unconsciousness rules (p. 207, EP). 6 7 DUR x2 test or augmentation is destroyed. 8 Limb destroyed or critically damaged by sheer force. Bleeding results in biomorphs. Morph functions dependent on that limb, such as two-handed weapons for arms or flight for wings, are impossible. 9 Character falls unconscious, skipping SOM test to avoid (p. 207, EP). 10 Durability x1 test or instant morph death.

Maiming Wounds (Energy) Result Outcome 1 Character becomes burned or suffers cosmetic damage to morph. No effect. 2 DUR x3 test to avoid immediately taking another wound. 3 Limb functionality damaged. Morph suffers a -10 penalty to all tests made with that limb. 4 DUR x3 test or augmentation suffers penalty to effects until repaired. 5 Character falls unconscious, per normal unconsciousness rules (p. 207, EP). 6 7 DUR x2 test or augmentation is destroyed. 8 Limb burned away in explosion or burst of energy. Morph functions dependent on that limb, such as two-handed weapons for arms or flight for wings, are impossible. Emulates effects of a microwave agonizer (p. 339, EP). 9 Character falls unconscious, skipping SOM test to avoid (p. 207, EP). 10 DUR x1 test or instant morph death.

Augmentation Damage Reference Type Outcome Armor Armor loses -3/-3 effectiveness. Trait/Active Effect MOX x10 test to function. Aptitude Boost Half effects, except for DUR enhancements. Skill Bonus -10 to bonus (can remove effects entirely).

74 Explosives Explosive Grades Grade Maximum Effective Yield** Weight/Yield Cost/Yield Low 20 2 KG/5 Trivial (50) Common 30 1 KG/5 Low (100) Commercial 50 .5 KG/5 Low (250) Military 100 .1 KG/5 Moderate (500) Experimental ∞ .01 KG/5 High (2500) Explosive Types Type Armor Rating Range/Yield Multiplier Cost/Yield Modifier Incendiary/Thermal E .5 0.8 Blast* L .8 1.1 Fragmentary K 1 1 Hybrid L 1.2 1.5

*Does not function in vacuum, except when placed directly on the object to be damaged. **Larger bombs can have larger blast radii, but will not cause more than this amount of damage.

Common Explosive Devices Explosives Yield Range (K/M/I) Type Broadsword-AI 45 10-25-50* Fragmentary Broadsword-AV 120 15-40-80* Fragmentary Hellrose 50 10-20-30 Incendiary Light Mortar (HE) 35 10-15-60 Blast Light Mortar (HEAV) 45 10-15-40 Blast Light Mortar (Frag) 30 25-40-80 Fragmentary Light Mortar (Plasma) 60 20-25-40 Hybrid Heavy Mortar (HE) 80 20-40-160 Blast Heavy Mortar (HEAV) 100 10-30-60 Blast Heavy Mortar (Frag) 75 40-80-300 Fragmentary Heavy Mortar (Plasma) 120 50-60-80 Hybrid

*2 meter blast outside of directional cone, treat as maim zone.

Rajput Weapons Spray Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Doru 2d10+10 -12 21 SA 50 Nanowar (10) Kinetic Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Sarissa 3d10+2 -9 18 SA, BF 76 Seeker Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Amentum Missile Missile — SS 1

75 Exotic Ranged Weapons Exotic Weapons DV AP Average DV Firing Modes Ammo Qualities Grappling Hook 1d10 -16 5 SA 1 Targun Ammo Ammo — SA 5 *

*Targuns immobilize their targets and block their communications.

Targun Ammunition Targun Ammunition Type DV AP Average DV Armor Used to Resist Qualities Standard — — — — Incendiary — — — E Flame (2d10)* Explosive — — — E ** Scrapper's Gel*** — — — H Rad — — — — Radioactive (20)

*Succeeds automatically. **See Demolitions and Yield. ***Damages armor before damaging durability.

76